The Black, The White, And The Red
by GuardianSoulBlade
Summary: Chapter XXII: Batman hides Talia from her father while paying him a visit to learn that someone has used Ra's' Lazarus Pit, but who is it and what's really going on here?
1. Act 1 Deadalus & Icarus: Chapter I: Dead

_Discover the origins of Red X. How does he know martial arts? How does he know how to use the equipment? And why would he help the Titans when he only looks out for himself? Here's why, he's someone from Robin's past._

_**Disclaimer:** This will be here for a ton of reasons. I do not own Teen Titans, or the episode "X", or Jason Todd, or anything that belongs to DC Comics, or "A Death in the Family," the comic in which Jason Todd died, which will be referenced a lot in this story. Special Thanks to TheDudeLordOfFantasy who gave me all the info on Jason Todd and helped me with the Comic Aspects of this fic. Go read her Robin centered fic The Impossible Normal Life, it rocks! Technically Jason is NOT Robin in this fic 'cause he dies at the beginning._

_This fic will be under more revision, since Judd Winick is writing a Red Hood miniseries (YAY!) called "Red Hood: The Lost Days". I will revise this fic and add chapters while writing what I have now. I'm going to buy some more graphic novels with Jason in them, so this fic will be under constant revision.  
_

**Act One: Deadalus & Icarus  
Chapter One: Dead**

_I have to…save her! But why should I...she lied and betrayed me to the Joker..._ The boy shook his head. _No, that wouldn't be right. Bruce wouldn't allow it. Even she deserves a second chance. After all, she is my mother..._

He strained his badly battered body to reach for the ropes that he could barely see through bruised, battered eyes. His good arm he forced to move so he could manipulate his hands and fingers to untie the bonds that bound his mother "You're free...Run for it..." he managed to gasp for enough air to force the words out of his mouth. She didn't move.

Only forty three seconds. Maybe there would be enough time to escape. Pain engulfed his entire body, he felt himself blacking out. "Go..." he groaned as he felt himself falling to the floor.

He felt his mother's hands grip his shoulders, pulling him up. "Come on, let me help you," she said as she pulled him to his feet and helped him stagger towards the door. By this time the display on the explosive said twenty three seconds. It was almost too late for them. "We're almost there."

Twelve seconds left...His Mother set him down against some boxes. "Stay here while I get the door." The boy nodded. It wasn't like he had much of a choice.

"...What's wrong?" he managed to ask. She was pulling frantically at the door knob.

"It's locked!" Sheila screamed, pulling at the door knob. "The Joker locked us in here!"

Time seemed to slow as he began to attempt to remain conscious Five seconds, four seconds, three. But it was too late. _Mom!_ His mind cried out in despair. _NO!_

An explosion rocked the building as he was thrown backwards. It was hopeless. He had failed; he couldn't save himself or his mother from the Joker. He saw his life flash before his eyes. He knew it was the end, he let his eyes close, and he knew he probably wouldn't make it.

He flew back, his body bouncing against the wall, with a thud he landed on the floor. Unmoving he saw only a white has as his eyes fell shut.

_Minutes later…_

The Batman pulled the Joker's supply truck to a screeching halt in front of what once was a warehouse. Rushing out, he began frantically searching for the boy. He had to find him. It was urgent. He had gone off to find his birth mother without his permission. What's worse was that the Joker had showed up and about beat him to death with a crowbar.

"Come on! Come on! Where are you!" He began digging through the rubble and debris, frantically searching for the boy. At last he found him, lying in a bloody, beaten heap beneath the remains of the building.

"No!" Batman screamed. He screamed again, this time his voice was hoarser. "NO!" He looked at the boy's lifeless body. "He's gone, and I could do nothing to prevent it. Gone. I've lost him." Batman lightly placed a hand on his face. "He's already cold to the touch." He was gone, and it was his fault.

_Two weeks later…_

Alfred Pennyworth stood beside his friend as they placed the casket with the boy's body in the grave, Bruce's butler, was also there, silent and solemn. "I know how hard it is for you to lose him. He was a family member, and we will never forget him." Alfred tried to comfort the man who had trained him. Robin was gone, he had failed miserably. Alfred was also saddened.

Bruce needed someone to comfort him, Dick Grayson wasn't there. He was in Jump City with the Teen Titans. Bruce didn't call him. When Alfred asked why, the only answer he received from Bruce was, "I'll handle it in my own way."

Robin, Dick Grayson, knew nothing about Jason's death. Bruce didn't have the heart to tell him. He had felt that after he had been "kicked out" of Wayne Manor that he had been replaced by Jason. And because of that, they weren't on speaking terms anymore. Bruce tried not to think about all the pain he felt inside.

"I know, Alfred. I know. I wish I could have been there."

"I know, Master Bruce. Sometimes these things happen. I don't understand it either. He was a good kid. He died trying to do the right thing."

Bruce sighed. "Still…I'll never forgive myself for this. It's my fault he's gone."

"It's not your fault, Bruce," Alfred sighed. "He was always very volatile. He went too far. It's rumored he pushed Felipe Garzonasa off a balcony. He violated your code against taking lives."

"But he claimed it was only a rumor, he said it wasn't true. I shouldn't have taken him off duty-"

"You did what you thought was right, Master Bruce," Alfred cut in. "The boy was becoming more and more aggressive. He was starting to rebel against you. He dishonored your teaching."

"I know, but still..."

"You did what you thought you could do." Alfred said quietly.

"I shouldn't have taken him off duty. It just made him worse." Bruce smiled sadly. "I should have let him stay, he loved what he did. But when I put him back on it, he tried even harder than before to do his best for me. If I hadn't left him alone this wouldn't have happened..."

"No need for you to beat yourself up about it," Alfred replied. "He did what he thought he had to do. Should I get in touch with Master Dick, Master Bruce?"

"Huh?" Bruce asked, he thought about it for a moment. He didn't want to involve Dick in this. "No...No Alfred. I'll handle this by myself. No help from now on...That's the way I want it."

He walked towards the limo. Batman watched him leave. Turning back towards the grave, he sighed. It was his fault and it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He stared at the freshly replaced earth. He knelt down and stared down at the grave. "I'm sorry," he whispered to himself quietly. He scooped a fist full of earth and let it slip through his fingers. He let himself remember all they had been through, and what a fine young man the boy had been.

He had caught him trying to steal the Batmobile's wheels. He had sent him to a school for troubled boys. He had then discovered that the school for boys was actually a place where they were being taught to be criminals. Together they had exposed the school for what it was and brought Ma Gunn to justice.

The boy had proved to be an enthusiastic student. Eager to learn and improve. But he was also flawed. His life as a street thief had skewed certain perceptions of right and wrong. Although he had tried to help the boy, old belief systems were hard to change, and they would often clash over morals and ethics.

The climax of it all was when the boy had tracked a foreign national, Felipe Garzonasa to his apartment. He had raped a woman and drove her to suicide. Rumors claimed he had murdered him by pushing him off the balcony to his death.

Batman had taken him off active duty, claiming that the boy had violated the code of ethics he had taught him. Bitter and angry, the boy had stomped off to his old life, where he discovered his mother was not really the woman who had raised him.

He eventually found her and he had gone off to Ethiopia to find her. They had been reunited for a short time before the Joker showed up and beat the boy half to death. It was over before Batman could get to him. And it was all his fault.

Rising to his feet, Bruce turned around slowly. He began to walk away from the grave, leaving the Gotham cemetery behind him. He turned back to take one last look at the grave. Sighing heavily, he turned around and walked away.

"We should be going now, Sir," Alfred called from the limo as he stood waiting for Bruce to return. He climbed into the back seat without a word as Alfred started up the car and drove in solemn, respectful silence, back to Wayne Manor.

He left the grave behind him, the sun shone brightly, mocking him with its warmth and light. The light flashed shadows on the grave. The grave of Jason Todd, Robin II. A life lost in horrible tragedy…


	2. Chapter II: Revived

**Chapter Two: Revived **

What does it feel like, being dead? He wasn't really sure, but he felt like he wasn't even existing, like being asleep, yet he was awake. Jason Todd wasn't sure where he was, or what was going on. He could see nothing; he heard nothing, there was nothing.

He had to wonder if he was dead at all, surely death would be more than a nonexistence in eternal nothing. Maybe he was in some sort of coma that they had mistook for being dead. No, it couldn't be that, they would have him in a hospital or something. Not that he knew where he was currently, but death couldn't be _this _state of unconscious consciousness that he was experiencing.

His body, Jason felt nothing in his body, yet he was there somehow. He didn't understand it. He wanted to wake up from his eternal slumber. But how could he? He was dead, he knew he had died, but yet he felt as if he were alive in a state of consciousness, yet unable to see hear or speak or feel. Perhaps he was a ghost or a spirit. But shouldn't he be allowed to go places, after all, that's what they did in the movies. But this wasn't a movie; this was real. He only wished to wake up, if only he could open his eyes…

He strained to see, forced his eyes to open. But it was no use; there was only nothing to see, not even the dark, because he thought if one was dead, he or she couldn't see anything at all. He tried again, this time harder. Suddenly, he saw something, but surely it was a mistake for he once again saw nothing! Then Jason realized this was a different kind of nothing; it was a darkness that came from true, pitch black darkness, like when one sits in a dark room or when the lights are shut off; surely he was awake now, he moved his hands, at least, he thought about moving his hands.

_"Ugh, ugh, ugh!!!"_ he gasped suddenly, inhaling the precious air he needed to live.

He raised hands until he hit something hard; it felt like a covering of some kind. He realized that he was lying in a casket! He was alive in his grave! Jason felt panic rising, but if he panicked he knew he wouldn't be able to get out, and he had to get out, to see the sun, to breathe fresh air, to live again.

"Ahhhh!" he emitted a terrified scream. He was trapped in a casket. He had to get out. He didn't want to die again. He inhaled and tried again. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Jason began to scream, maybe Bruce had come to visit his grave. Maybe Bruce would hear his cries for help and dig him up. "BATMAN!!!?!?" he screamed. Bruce _had _to hear him. He would come and save him.

He realized now that he was alive, but how? He could not just command himself to resurrect. He was not a superpowered individual who could come back to life. Or _was _he? He began feeling his arms with his hand, surely he would be bleeding from his wounds, the morgue had sowed him up to make him look presentable for public viewing, surely would be oozing blood or something. He felt his hands, slid his fingers up his arms, feeling scars, but no blood.

He raised his hand and struck the lid gently, he was alive, and miraculously whole, except for his scars that he knew were still there. _The explosion,_ he thought, _must have done something to my body. It healed itself! But how, I thought I was dead! _Now he was alive, but trapped in his own grave.

He began thinking, methodically. He knew that all caskets were like boxes, and boxes had hinges. He began feeling around 'til he came to what felt like metallic hinges. He made a fist and hit them as hard as he could, still no luck. Jason felt fear and panic rising inside him. He had to stop, had to think rationally. He had no source of fresh air, shouting and screaming would dwindle his air supply down to nothing and he would die from lack of fresh air.

"C'mon—C'mon—C'mon—C'mon—C'mon—C'mon!" Jason screamed pushing at the sides of the casket. "Something—Gotta have something…" Jason couldn't see so he felt his clothes. He was disappointed to discover that Batman had not buried him in costume, no Bird-a-Rangs, no utility belt, no tools, and no gadgets to help him. Nothing to show the world he had been the Dark Knight's Squire.

"Calm," he told himself. "Calm down…not enough air…calm down…" Jason moved his hand down and felt the hard buckle of a belt that he had been buried in. Unbuckling it, he tore off the buckle and used it to scrape through the cloth covering until he hit hard, solid wood. Then he began the arduous task of scratching and clawing his way out. He grunted in pain as his fingers bled. That was good, pain told him that he was alive, he was still here. "Gotta dig...dig your way out..." With a strength he didn't know he had, using only instinct that told him he needed to survive, he dug his way out of his coffin.

Jason felt his hand burst through the ground. He could feel the wet rainwater hitting his hand. He could hear the thunder and see the light from lightening bolts that struck across the sky. He summoned a burst of energy and hoisted himself out of the ground and stood up.

Breathing hard, he began walking away from the gravesite, moving one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. It was purely instinct, he was barely conscious. Jason walked for 12.5 miles before he thought he saw a light a head, he staggered towards it. The couple in the van saw him staggering in the middle of the road and barely managed to bring their car to a stop. The man in the car, Derek Brantley and his girlfriend called the paramedics. They stared at him in awe, what had happened to this guy?

"You're one lucky kid," an EMT said as he loaded Jason onto a stretcher.

Jason felt consciousness leaving him, he heard a voice, was that Bruce? Had he come to save him after all? "Bruce… Bruce… Bruce… Bruce…" he whispered, then the world became dark and he knew no more.

They took him to a hospital and put him on life support. The doctors were startled at his injuries, how could a kid survive like this? "He's in a coma?" a doctor asked. "I thought they found him on foot."

"A fractured skull. It caused a brain bleed or some dang thing. They're not even sure if he's brain dead or not," another doctor replied.

"What's this about flash burns?"

"It looks like he was in some explosion or—"

"—And then what? They dressed him in a suit and buried him someplace?" the man asked. This was all very hard to believe. He was surprised they hadn't declared their nameless John Doe dead already. He was practically dead.

"And he dug himself out. Apparently through dirt and wood. I wanted to run the wood slivers but we lost anything usable when they were e working on him."

"So the kid was beaten with some kind of metal pipe, cracked his skull, shattered his sternum, collapsed a lung…about forty other fractures."

"Blown up, then buried?" the other man asked.

"Yeah. And he's still alive."

"God Almighty, like freakin' Rasputin," the man exclaimed.

"More like Lazarus," the other said. "He kept asking for "Bruce." He say who it was?"

"Yeah, just before he went under. He said it was his father."

The men tried to discover his identity using the police's Missing Persons archive. They didn't find anything. They tried to match his fingerprints. But Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson and Jason Todd do not have their fingerprints on record anywhere on Earth. They searched for graves in a ten-mile radius. If they would have search a little further out they would have found his grave.

Meanwhile, a worker at Gotham Cemetery came a cross a large hole in the ground near one of the graves. Frightened, he found another worker to help him dig it up. "Good Lord…you sure about this? " The man asked. The casket was empty, it had an enormous hole in the middle of it.

"I mean, grave robbers, it's—"

"Man, we don't know what happened here. And I don't _want _to know…" The workers went away, never revealing what they had seen to anyone. What they had seen terrified them beyond reason.

* * *

_One Year Later… _

The Huntington Convalescent Home. A place for the sick or homeless. Jason lay in a coma for an entire year. He was unresponsive, the doctors did not know anything about him. They were unsure of how he had received his injuries, but they were amazed he was still alive, although he seemed like a dead man. He would not respond to any stimuli. They said he had extensive brain damage and didn't know how long he would survive. Then one day, a miracle happened. Jason opened his eyes. He couldn't talk, couldn't understand, couldn't comprehend what was happening or how he had gotten into the convalescents home.

One year later, he wandered through the city, surviving on instincts alone. He knew he needed clothes and food, so he stole them, but he could not remember his past, his thought processes were that of a toddler, he couldn't rationalize correctly or understand what was said to him. He slept in streets and stole food when he could. Some spark of the good person he was would reveal itself when he would share his food with other homeless men and women on the street.

Jason made that street his home and slept in available empty spots where he could find them. One night, a man stood over him just as he was about to go to sleep. "Get out of my spot, punk," the man growled. Although Jason couldn't comprehend what was said but he had picked up on the anger in the man's voice. He ignored him.

"You listening to me? Get your --- up!" the man shouted.

Another homeless man shrugged his shoulders. "Aw, jeez, man. That ain't your spot."

"And you are messing with a meal ticket, man," another man chimed in. "That boy always swipes food and shares it. I once saw him walk out with a nine-pound turkey. He's gifted."

"Never gave me a thing!" the man snarled, kicking Jason in the stomach. "And he's in my spot!"

"Aah!" Jason let out a cry of pain and clutched his stomach. Something inside him snapped, he had to fight back.

"Quit whining, ---- and get the heck out of my—" The man shouted, and stared in shock. The kid was gone! "—spot?"

He didn't even have time to look before he felt a trashcan smash into his head. Jason fought using his training and pure instinct. He performed a back flip and landed on his knees on top of the man's shoulders. He brought his fists smashing into the man's ears. The homeless man fell to the ground and Jason landed on his feet. He lay back down and went back to sleep.

Tommy Carbone stared at the boy, wide-eyed. He had seen that maneuver before. He had been gunrunner a few years before. Then Batman shut him down. Batman _and _Robin. Robin had executed that very maneuver on him. He wouldn't ever forget it. But how could he be here, he'd thought he heard that Joker had killed Robin. He now knew that the Robin who was supposedly dead was alive. He hoped he could get some money out of this information. He knew someone who might be very interested in his discovery.

He scrounged up enough money to pay for a phone call. He made it. "I swear to God it's him," Tommy Carbone said into the phone.

Another man on the other end of the line was very skeptical. "It can't be…but if you're even remotely right…I know who might be interested in it."

"It's him," Tommy confirmed. "And it's going to cost you." He would get something out of this after all.

"They'll pay," the man said, a few days later. They were very interested in it.

"I'm sure they will," A man in replied.

The man in the suit set up a meeting with Talia Al Ghul. "You'll have him tomorrow," he told her.

"It was supposed to be tonight," Talia said simply.

The man left and she returned to the castle where her father was staying at the moment. "No one is left?" Ra's Al Ghul asked. "Anyone who knew about him is dead?"

"Yes," Talia said coldly. "No one on Earth knows that Jason Todd lives. Only us."

"I see…but I'm afraid that this endeavor has been for naught. He is so severely brain damaged, he will never be able to tell us how he came to be like this. Or why he and "The Detective" chose to create this ruse of his death."

"If it is a ruse," Talia said. It didn't appear to bea ruse. He didn't seem to be acting. If he was, he was fooling her. And she had a gut feeling he had really died.

"Very well. You may keep him. Find an answer. That would be worth all the trouble you've gone to."

_

* * *

_

_One Year Later… _

"I have grown weary of this," Ra's Al Ghul proclaimed to Talia as he stared at Jason, who was slumped over in a high back chair. He wasn't even looking out the window. He was dull-eyed and despondent. "Your pet takes up entirely too much of your time. You have many responsibilities that need—"

"He has grown stronger and he is still a master combatant," Talia protested.

"He is stronger because he has eaten. And his "battle skills" are simply like a muscle that tenses when it has been stabbed," Ra's sneered. "He is and will forever be, an unthinking, emotionless shell. He ahs never spoken, never healed—"

"Father, if Wayne were to be told—"

"He would wage war upon us. I see no advantage at this time. A day may come when the boy has a purpose, but today…no…He is useless to us. I am sending him away."

"Father—" Talia protested.

"He will be cared for, and kept. Protected and sheltered out of respect for his mentor…_and_ his current caretaker," Ra's said flatly. "Now, if you will forgive me daughter, I am weak. And…that time has come again…" he turned to a sealed door and punched in the entrance security codes. Talia watched him leave and unlocked the door and slipped inside.

This was the hall of the Lazarus Pit, it was where Ra's Al Ghul would submerge himself in the unknown chemical that restored the sick and the dying. They called it a Lazarus Pit because it raised the dead, named after the man of Bethany that Jesus raised from the dead in the Bible. Though it lengthened the human lifespan, it was not without its price. A temporary madness would overcome those who submerged themselves in it, and some said those that used the Pits often began to lose their soul, due to the fact that they could practically live forever. And when one lived long, life and the concerns and emotions that make men and women human would become unimportant, and they would loose the very thing that made them human: compassion.

"I know that despite your oath of obedience, the temptation of immortality beckons in front of you, my acolytes!" Ra's Al Ghul's voice boomed out. "To enter the Lazarus Pit, however, will surely mean your death!"

"Perhaps death…" Talia said, shoving a boy in a purple turban into the pit before the guards could stop her. "Perhaps more…" she said as she watched him fall in.

Jason began to struggle; fear and panic were overwhelming him. He was going to drown! The self-preservation instinct was fighting to keep him afloat, but eventually his body succumbed to the chemicals. His head disappeared below the surface.

Suddenly, the memories came flooding back. Who he was, his whole life flashed in front of his eyes. Meeting Batman in Crime Alley, his training, Felipe Garzonasa, his mother, his murder, and the Joker. The memories came streaming back, playing before him like a movie. The realization of who he was renewed the strength in his limbs and arms as he rose to the surface.

"AAAAARRRRGGGG!" he screamed as he remembered his mental training Batman had taught him. He had to remain calm, but only for a moment. He caught sight of Talia Al Ghul, and stared.

"Come with me, now!" Talia shouted.

"What!?" Jason screamed in reply. "What is happening to me!?"

Just then, a roar was heard as Ra's Al Ghul rose from the Lazarus Pit. "A deceitful child has spurned her father…!" he roared. Talia caught Jason's hand and pulled him from the pit. They both began to run away from the immortal terrorist as he continued to rage. An unholy light filled the entire castle, an eerie yellow glow that illuminated the surrounding area. Jason could hear Ra's' booming voice as he finished his denouncement. "…AND CURSED YOUR SOUL!"

They ran to the woods. They sprinted for miles and miles. It felt like it did when he walked 12.5 miles when he had broken out of his grave. Jason didn't understand, what was going on? "Talia?! What the heck do you—where was—!" he asked.

She interrupted him. "There is no time! I did what I thought was right! What I thought you deserved! Do not go and find HIM Jason! Lear the truth before you do!"

"The truth?! What?!" Jason sputtered. What was she talking about? What truth?

"You remain unavenged," Talia said softly, kissing him quickly as his eyes went wide. Then she pushed him and he fell down over a waterfall and into the Ocean below. He swam to the nearest shoreline and found himself in Gotham Bay. He made his way out and stared over the water, pondering what he should do next. And what did Talia mean, "You remain unavenged"?" Was the Joker still alive?

Where was he to go? To the Batcave? Why should he? Bruce thought he was gone. Talia had told him not to go to Bruce. He wasn't sure if he should return but how would Bruce believe him. Then he remembered how Batman had not been able to save him. The realization hit him: Bruce was a failure, now in his eyes it was clearly spelled out. He could have saved him, but did he? No. Did he even care about him finding his mother? Not really, he had warned against him going in the first place. Didn't he want him to be happy? It seemed that all Bruce wanted him to do was just sit there and do nothing after he forced him to stop active duty as Robin.

Where could he live? He didn't want to stay in Gotham; it was a hellhole as it was. Staying here was something that he did _not _want to do. He wasn't sure what was promising. Metropolis was nice but it seemed to be a little far. Dakota wasn't too far, but still it held no interest to him. There was also Jump City, and he liked the idea of going there. Plenty of sun, surf and opportunity to do whatever he wanted to do.

He decided that if he wanted to leave Gotham, Jump City was his best bet to take. He had been a street kid before had met the Batman. He had been a street thief, and a pretty good one, too. In fact he had been trying to steal the Batmobile's wheels when he had first met him! He knew enough to be able to survive.

Jason smiled. They say criminal antennae never died. Indeed that was true. He would make a new life for himself in Jump City. He had no idea what he'd be doing, but it was going to be fun, adventurous and exciting. It had been a long time since he had experienced any excitement. He hoped for it in Jump City.

Now he came to his next dilemma, how to get there. He could try and catch a ride on a bus. But buses cost money, and knowing the condition he was in, money was not a thing that he had right now. There was only one thing to do, hitchhike to Jump City. But first, he would have to find a place to sleep. A place where no one would recognize him; a place that was obvious but inconspicuous, a place that no one would know him.

A thought hit him. He had passed it a thousand times when he had lived on the streets. The Gotham Homeless Shelter. He would be safe there. But what if they asked questions? What would he say? He would figure out a way to hide his identity.

He quickly made his way towards the shelter. He walked into the shelter. A lady looked up at him. "Hello, young man, are you alone?"

"Uh—I, my mom's coming," he replied.

"What is your mother's name?" The woman asked.

"Sheila Haywood," Jason replied.

"And your name young man?"

"Jason. Jason T. Haywood, my mother should be arriving shortly," Jason said and hastily headed into the shelter, hoping his ploy would pay off. He flopped down on one of the empty bunks and immediately fell asleep.

It was early the next morning when he awoke. He quietly slipped out of the shelter, avoiding the lady at the front desk at all costs. She probably figured out his ploy involving his mother by now. He stepped out onto the street. He heard a voice shout behind him, "Hey! You! We need to talk to you!" He sped up his pace slightly, ignoring them as if they had mistaken him for someone else.

"Hey! Stop that kid! We need to talk to him!" Jason adeptly began sprinting down the street. Ducking into an alley, he ran down until he reached a fire escape, bounding up the fire escape, he scrambled onto the roof and pressed himself against the cement, hunkering down, he saw the lady from the previous night and a man run into the alley and look around.

"He disappeared. Let's get out of here." They turned and left. Jason waited for a while until he felt safe enough to come down from his hiding place. Walking out onto the sidewalk, he began thumbing for ride. A family in a van was parked by the sidewalk where he was standing. A lady was walking towards the van, a warm polite smile on her face.

"Excuse me Ms., but can I have a lift?" he asked politely. The young lady turned, wary expression on her face.

"Where to?" she asked.

"Jump City," he replied.

"Funny, you should mention it, we live there," the lady smiled. "You're not one of those psychopaths are you?" she asked half teasing, half serious.

"No, no I'm not like that at all!" he laughed. "I'll be good, I swear!" he promised.

"Good, 'cause the Teen Titans will kick your butt if you are!" A young boy shouted from a middle seat.

"Climb in the middle seat," the lady said.

Jason climbed into the seat beside him.

"What's your name?" the lady asked.

"Jason Haywood," Jason replied. "I've lived here awhile and I want to start somewhere new."

"I'm Mrs. Jones," the lady introduced herself. "That's Tommy in the seat beside you there."

"Hi." Jason said. "So, What's the date today?"

They gave him a funny look. "April 27, 2007," Tommy replied.

"Oh, I forgot." He had been dead for over six months, and in a coma for year, sleeping in the streets the next year and a vegetative state the year after that. He had lost three years of his life! How was he going to figure out what was going on? He decided to keep the conversation light." Since I've been out of the look for awhile with the news, tell me about these Teen Titans."

"Dude, they're the coolest superheroes around. They live in a Giant T-Tower and have awesome superpowers!"

"Interesting. Tell me, who are they?" Jason had vaguely heard of the Teen Titans, he had heard Robin I, Dick Grayson had formed the team and that he was the leader.

"Well, there's Cyborg, the half man, half robot, who is just like me," The boy pulled a baseball glove off to reveal a cybernetic hand implant.

"That's nice. I heard something about Robin. He's the leader right?"

"You bet! He's the best there ever was!" Tommy exclaimed. "He beat Slade!"

"Who's Slade?" he hadn't exactly heard of him before. The name wasn't familiar to him.

"Oh, he's an evil supervillain. I think they called him Deathstroke, or something like that. Heard he kills people."

Now _that_ name Jason knew. The Batman had had quite a few run-ins with this Deathstroke. But he had gone away from Gotham. Now he guessed he'd begun messing with Dick and his Titans.

"Yeah, Robin tried to figure out who Slade was by posing as a thief," Tommy continued excitedly.

"Now who told you Robin would pose as a thief?" Jason asked. Both Batman and Robin had a strict code of ethics that they adhered to. Jason hadn't exactly been able to adapt all of those. He still had his own moral values, and they weren't exactly black and white.

"Well, I'm not saying that he went _bad_ but he did it to try and stop Slade. He called himself Red X and stole some chips so he could trap Slade into revealing what his plan was."

"Tell me, do a lot of people know about this Red X incident?"

"Well, I'm sure it's pretty true. Robin had to explain himself to the security labs where the chips were, and they understood so they forgave him and stuff. And the news was all over it, they wouldn't stop talking about it for weeks."

"Tell me all you know about this Red X persona that Robin created…" Jason just had a new lease on life. Criminal antennae never died, and his old thief nature was starting to creep back in…


	3. Chapter III: Suit Up

**Chapter Three: Suit Up**

**To Tearron Walker:** You pose a very legitimate question. Surely, during the entire incident of MASKS, you would think that security cameras had to have captured the interactions between Red X aka Robin and Slade, including Robin's unmasking. The press would have gone nuts over it. And, the press in Jump City probably would have been able to get the information one way or another.

**The Reviewers who Correctly Guessed Who Tommy Jones' Character is based off in the TV Show:**

Spitfire F.22  
morring star  
scathac's warrior, you also knew I was referencing my fic An Appointment With Death, congratulations.

"Thanks for the lift!" Jason thanks Mrs. Jones as he climbed out of the van.

"You're welcome, Jason. Good luck with a new start." Mrs. Jones replied as she drove off. The dust had settled and Jason was once again alone. He smiled though; he had a reason to come to Jump City. Tommy had told him about what he had called the Red X Incident when Robin had posed as a villain to discover Slade's plans.

Too bad such a thing had to go to waste. Tommy said he heard that Robin had put the suit in a safe so that no one would be able to use it. At least that's what the news said. Those people on the TV were stupid. Why say such things on live TV knowing that there were people like him that were interested in such things.

If he was going to start over, he wasn't going to play the hero. What did a hero get as a reward for all their hard work? Nothing, nothing at all, respect, maybe if you were regarded enough by people, but it wasn't a great deal.

Jason began to explore the city; after all, this would be his new home for a while. He made sure to stay away from large crowds; he didn't want to risk the possibility of being recognized. He passed the pizza place where he saw one very familiar figure.

"Hey guys, let's get some pizza." It was Robin, Dick Grayson. He wasn't surprised to see him there. Four other teenagers followed him. There was a green boy; Jason thought his name was Beast Boy, a young man who was half robot, Cyborg, a dark brooding blue caped girl, Raven, and a red headed girl who didn't look human, Starfire. _How convenient, _he thought, _now's my chance to get a hold of that suit._

He began making his way quickly towards the bay, he swam out to Titans Tower, and it seemed like forever since until he finally arrived. "I'm never gonna do that again!" he told himself as he climbed to his feet. "Mental note: don't swim to Titans Tower. Man, I ruined my suit! Don't even look good enough to go to a funeral!" He laughed at his pun, considering the only funeral he had recently been at was his own. Jason made his way up to the Tower entrance.

He stared at the security panel. Jason smiled. Never met a code he couldn't crack. He began carefully punching numbers, sticking his hand inside his sleeve so he wouldn't touch the buttons directly. About a half hour later, he looked around to make sure the Titans weren't back yet, and opened the door.

Walking inside, he began to look around. He was impressed by the size of the place. He made his way to the hallway, looking for Robin's room. If Robin had been Red X, he would probably keep the suit in his room in some kind of safe.

Jason frowned. Titans Tower was large and complex. It took some time for him to find the security safe. He wasn't sure which one held the Red X suit was in, so he carefully opened the safes and looked inside each of them

Finally, he found it. It was a very large vault; on the front of the door was a large skull with a red X on it. Now, how to open it. He made his way down to the garage and began searching through a large toolbox until he found a blowtorch. Just what he needed, he could open the safe now.

He headed back to the safe and fired up the blow torch, he began burning his way through the door and it took him more than a half an hour to burn his way through half of the safe door. Obviously, Robin and his friends could afford the best of security. He hoped he would be able to open it before they returned so he could get out of there.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he burned through the safe door. He let it Along with the utility belt; he quietly slipped into the suit. "Not bad, Jason not bad at all," he said, sizing himself up. The suit itself was a wonder. Alfred couldn't have done better if he had made it. And Alfred was the one who had made both Batman and Robin's costumes. He peered inside the vault and removed the X shaped boomerangs and placed them inside the utility belt. He looked around nervously. He had to get out of there, but after that what was he going to do? He suddenly heard loud voices as he began looking around.

"Not bad work, team. We did well tonight. How 'bout a movie?" _Oh no,_ Jason groaned inwardly, _I can't let him find me! I'm supposed to be dead! _He spotted a strange little vile of red chemicals. _That's Xenothium! Highly unstable, it must be what he uses to power the suit. _He quickly tucked it away. Putting on the utility belt, he strapped it on, inserting the Xenothium into the belt.

He tried to move away from the door but it suddenly fell to the floor with a loud_ Bam! _

"Oh crap!" he said out loud. The noise echoed through the room. "I gotta get out of here!" Jason said to himself. Out of panic he placed a hand on the utility belt and pressed a button, the world suddenly spun as he vanished.

Cyborg had just opened the door. "That's odd," he said to himself, "I swear that I heard a _bang _coming from up here." He looked around. "It must have been just me." He shut the door.

"How do you get this thing to stop?" Jason asked himself as he continued to be moving throughout the City. "Oh yeah, push the button again." He did just that, and promptly smashed into a wall. "Nice going, Jason, you're a real pro." He staggered to his feet. "Now if I can figure out how to use this thing."

"Now Richard, what did you put in this thing?" He began examining the utility belt. Besides the X-a-Rangs and the Xenothium needed to power it, what else could this thing be used for? He turned his gloved hands over and noticed the X shaped imprints on them.

"Wonder what these are for? Aaah!" suddenly, without warning, a pair of red X-a-Rangs shot him in the face, knocking him off his feet.

"Nifty, I'm such an idiot! I can't believe I shot myself!" Jason shook his head groggily. "Now I need to see what else this stuff can do." He began examining the other tools and gadgets that were in the utility belt.

"Interesting, I can't be seen in this suit though, He teleported into the apartment, snuck into a restroom and changed out of his Red X suit and into his normal suit. He crept out of the apartment and walked around the building, entering the door.

A man at the counter looked up at him, "Hello, young man. Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to rent a room," Jason said simply.

"I see. What's your name son?" the man asked.

"Jason T. Haywood," he answered.

"Do you have a job, Mr. Haywood?" the man asked.

"I'll have one very soon sir," he said, amused, as soon as he could figure out the gadgets and how the suit work, he would have a "job," stealing, no _accumulating _miscellaneous items. Well, in reality, he hoped to acquire a _real_ job so he would have a cover, in case any jobs went bad or something.

"Tell me something, mister," Jason began, "do you know of any good places to work around here? I'm kinda new to the area."

"Well, there is Cooks Electronics Store, nice hours, good pay. You should check there, I'm sure they'd hire you. Here's your room key. Number 815."

"Thanks, mister, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the key." Jason headed towards his room. It was on the second floor and he took the stairs to it. Using the key to open the door he stepped inside the apartment. Hopefully after a few very good gigs he'd be able to buy a real house, one where he could have secret rooms like the Batcave. That thought made Jason frown. The Batman.

Was he like the Batman at all? Certainly Bruce would not approve of his "job" that he was going to do once he figured out the suit. And certainly going against the law would not make the man who was the Batman very happy at all. But why should he care? He wasn't Robin anymore; he was just Jason Todd, the new Red X.

He almost laughed aloud. What was he thinking? Bruce didn't care about him. He was dead to him. Bruce was a failure. He failed to save Jason from the Joker. Why would he give a rip about what a failure thought of him? Still he wasn't sure where he stood. Part of him was a hero; part of him was a villain. Both sides of his ethics and beliefs fought for control. What was he going to do?

"I need more Xenothium," he said to himself. "Not exactly something you can buy. Guess I'll have to steal." The decision was made, his darker side won. First, in order to steal, he must learn how to use the equipment. He changed into his suit and teleported out to an abandoned alley he had seen earlier.

He raised his hands, two bright red Xs shot forth as he began aiming at a nearby target. An abandoned fire escape, Xs flew from his palms and hit his target right where he aimed for them. "Not bad," he told himself. "I bet there's a lot more than just this."

He began to examine the various types of Xs within the belt. There was a gooey type when shot out, it would stick to whatever he aimed at. There was a stronger, more flexible type, used for pinning things. Jason was fascinated with how many variations Robin had come up with for this. Obviously, this little ploy of his he took very seriously, this suit wasn't just thrown together.

He had to wonder why Robin, _Richard Grayson _would use Xenothium to power the suit. The chemical was very powerful, but extremely unstable. The other problem with it was that it was hard to come by, it was considered a highly volatile element, so it was not mass produced by Wayne Enterprises, only for scientific purposes and research, they would produce it for laboratory studies.

He'd known all this from his days with Batman; he had frequented Wayne Enterprises enough to see the chemical being produced within their research labs. He just had to find out where they kept it in Jump City. He would have to find an inconspicuous somebody to tell him where it was.

He teleported back to is new apartment. He began flipping through the channels of the small TV that had been left behind by the previous owner. "Today, on the news, Teen Titans stopped Slade last week. Former Titan Terra sacrifices herself to save the city."

"Good for her," Jason muttered. Too bad she wasn't here to celebrate it. That was the problem with heroes; most didn't survive to enjoy their victory, if they got any credit at all.

"Also in other news, Professor Chang has escaped from prison for illegally possessing Xenothium…"

"That was what I wanted to hear!" Jason smiled. He needed to contact this Professor Chang, find out where he had found this supply of Xenothium. Then he would be set for a long, long time.

But he had other things he had to do. He had to find a real job so he would have a legitimate answer for anyone who asked him what he did for a living. Sleeping on the old springy couch, he awoke early the next morning, he decided to head for Cooks Electronics Store and apply for a job.

Walking to the electronics shop, he entered and began looking for the manager. He found the man in the storage room. He looked up as Jason walked in. "Excuse me, sonny, you looking for something?"

"Well, I want a job," Jason told him.

"A job, hmm," he looked thoughtful. "Go fill out an application. They're in the front." Jason went out to the front counter and picked up an application. He began filling it out. He put his mother's name as his last name, and his last name as his middle name. He put his real age, and he figured he would be stocking shelves or something. No one would know he was Red X; he would hide his identity completely, as Bruce Wayne did. Having a good reputation would help him out in court, if he ever got caught.

After he was finished he turned it in and walked out the door. Now it was time to find this Professor Chang and see about some Xenothium. Jason snuck into a dark alleyway and changed into the Red X suit. He began looking through the paper, unsure if he'd find anything. Wandering through the streets he saw a strange, suspicious looking warehouse. He entered it and began looking around. Suddenly a laser blast nearly hit him as he flipped backwards to avoid it.

Charging in the direction of the blast he continued to dodge and duck, easily making his way towards the figure that attacked him. He leapt high, knocking the figure off his feet. "Hey, who are you and why are you blasting me?" He grabbed the figure by his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"I am Professor Chang," the man replied.

"Good. I've been looking for you," Jason had figured out how to use the voice machine. Fiddling with the controls he changed his voice so it was lower and less recognizable.

"Why would that be me, my boy," Professor Chang grinned a toothy smile. _Boy do you need an orthodontist. _Jason sized up this wizened little old man.

"What do you want?"

"Some Xenothium," Jason stated. "Do you know where I can get some?"

"Well, my boy they don't sell it anymore."

"I see."

"I could sell you some, if I could get my hands on it."

"I'm not interested in buying."

"I see. So you want to _steal_ it." Professor Chang suggested. "Well, there is that big tech company on the south side of town. They have quite a large stockpile of it. Oh, and I know the Logan Estate Genetic Research Facility has some."

"Thanks, that's all I needed to know." Jason let him go and teleported himself away. Once he was outside the building he felt quite satisfied with his work. Next stop, Logan Estate Genetic Research Facilities.

**_Quick Sticky: _**_I'm referencing one of my other stories. Can you guess which one? I'll put a list of the winners and they will get their names listed as the ones who were smart enough to figure it out. My other fics will be updated soon. Keep watching for me._


	4. Chapter IV: Logan Estate

**Chapter Four: Logan Estate**

Jason Todd, Red X teleported himself out of the warehouse. He made his way onto the roof, sprinting across the rooftop; he began staring around looking for the Logan Estate Genetic Research Facilities. Scanning the area, he finally found it. The glowing neon green lights of LOGAN ESTATE GENETIC RESEARCH FACILITIES blinded him slightly. Squinting, he forced himself to readjust to the light. Running, he leapt onto the roof of the research facilities. He pushed the button on his suit and teleported himself inside.

Looking around, Jason Todd groaned. "Please, I do not have time for this." He began searching for the nearest laboratory. Frowning, he began searching for the Xenothium. Hacking open the door, he began rummaging through the beakers for the red chemical.

"Ah, here it is!" he said triumphantly. He grasped the vile in his hands; he tucked it into his utility belt. "I don't know how much I'll be able to take. Better take as much as I can." He began gathering up as much Xenothium as he could. He was about finished when he felt a shadow behind him.

"Hey! You! Stop him!" The guard shouted. Another ran in. The guard with the number seven punched at Jason. He ducked and blocked a blow. Flipping back, he spun around and kicked him hard.

"Ugh!" the guard screamed. He suddenly grabbed a blaster and fired. Jason screamed in pain. He hit the floor hard.

"We got him!" The other guard, Number Eight, ran to join him. He too, pulled out his blaster.

"Don't move, we got you now," Number Seven said

"Number Eight; help me take him in."

"I don't think so," Jason Todd growled, "Red X has plans for this Xenothium."

"Red X? Huh?" Who are you?" Number Seven asked in astonishment. Red X suddenly kicked the guard. He smiled beneath his mask. He smashed a fist into the second the guard. Both guards found themselves unexpectedly tied up against the wall.

"Hey! What did you do?"

"Sorry fellas, I gotta go!" Red X laughed. Pushing the button and smiled. He vanished from sight. He chuckled, "I guess I'll have to get going."

He smiled, removing the Xenothium from cloak; he inserted it into his utility belt. "Not bad." He smiled to himself. "But I still don't have enough to keep me going. This could only last a few days. I still need more. And I have no money to pay bills."

"Come on, Jason, it's time to go." He teleported from the Logan Estate Genetic Research Facilities, alarms began to blare and police cars began pull up in front of the building. He made his way toward the local bank.

Teleporting into the bank, he began making his way towards the safe. Evading the security system, he found the rooms with the safes. Upon arriving, he began opening the safe. Once he was inside, he began placing stacks and stacks of money into the pockets of his cloak and utility belt. He quietly closed the door behind him. The alarm went off again.

Not wanting to have another confrontation with more guards, he pushed the button and teleported back to his apartment. Changing back into his normal clothes, he made his way into his apartment. "Not bad for your first day, Jason." He fingered the money in his hands, "Looks like my new life is off to a great start."

* * *

Guard Number Seven finally regained consciousness and got up from his position on the ground. "That guy! Where did he go?"

"I don't know," Number Eight replied. "Quick, call the Teen Titans. They'll be able to find whoever did there." Number Seven quickly ran over to the T shaped alarm button.

Within minutes the Teen Titans arrived at the bank. "What happened here?"

A masked man came and robbed the bank. We don't know what he looks like but he disarmed us really quick."

"So you don't know who it was?" Robin asked. He though he saw a red substance on the floor. _No. It can't be. _It couldn't be what he thought it was. _Xenothium? What or who would use Xenothium?_ What did it mean?

Robin began looking around. He didn't see anyone in the room besides the guards.

"No, we don't." Number Eight said.

"He said his name; I just can't remember what it was. I'm sorry, Robin. If I know I would tell you, I would.

"Thanks officer," Robin replied. He wasn't sure what it meant but it meant something. Something important but he was unsure of what it was.

"Thanks Titans, we really appreciate this."

"You're welcome. No need to mention it."

The Titans began walking through the building. "So who do you think broke into the building?" Starfire asked.

"I don't know; I'm not sure who it is, but they are very sophisticated." Robin looked at her. "Don't worry, Star, we'll get to the bottom of this."

Just then a man came running up to them. "Titans, thank goodness you made it. Mr. Logan, I know you'd want to know what's going on."

"Dude, you're not supposed to call me by my real name in front of my friends!"

"Sorry, Mr. Logan, it's just I'm used to seeing you alone."

"There you go again dude," Beast Boy said, "Don't call me by my real name!"

"Your real name is Mr. Logan?" Cyborg asked.

" Garfield," Beast Boy breathed out exasperated. "Don't even get started on it, I'll explain later."

"Mr. Logan we know he stole something but we don't know what it is." Suddenly, another man in a lab coat came running out.

"Mr. Logan, we've checked our entire inventory and the Xenothium is missing!"

"Again!" Robin exclaimed. "It seems that all these robberies are connected. Xenothium seems to be the main factor." He turned to Beast Boy. "Why do they keep calling you Mr. Logan?"

"Because my name is Garfield Logan," Beast Boy admitted with a sheepish grin. "I uh, kind of own Logan Estate Genetic Research Facilities."

"You _own _this place?" Cyborg asked. "You don't seem the type to _own_ anything!"

"I know, I know, but I do. I inherited this place after my parents died."

"Wait a second, your parents?" Robin interrupted.

"My Dad's name was Mark Logan. He was the founder and owner of Logan Estate until he died."

"Beast Boy, if you're saying what I think you're saying, then you own a company worth millions of dollars," Cyborg stated simply.

"Maybe I do," Beast Boy said.

"If that's true, then _WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO BUILD YOU A STINKIN' MOPED WHEN YOU CAN PROBABLY BUY ONE?"_

"Can we get back on the subject here?" Robin interrupted. "This has nothing to do with the break in."

"Alright, whatever, but still—"

"Enough, Cyborg. We have more important things to worry about, like who's behind the Xenothium theft."

"Yeah dude, that's more important than me being the future owner of Logan Estate," Beast Boy said. "So Robin, you have any idea who's behind this?"

"I'm not sure, but I will find out, and when I do, we're going to take the perpetrator down."

* * *

Jason walked into his apartment and checked the messages on his phone which he had plugged in before he left. The display on the phone showed that there was one new message for him. He pushed the button and listened.

"Mr. Haywood , we've looked over your application and we are pleased to announce that we have accepted it. We look forward to having you as one of our employees at Cooks Electronics. Your workday will begin at seven tomorrow morning. This is the Store Manager, Jake Brown."

"Well, that's nice to hear," Jason said, he was exhausted. He wondered how long he could keep this up before the Titans got onto him. He knew they were out there, stopping crime and fighting criminals, when they would find him was anyone's guess.

At least now he had a day job, a great alibi if he was ever caught by the cops. It also gave him something to do to pass the time and actually make money. He flopped down on the couch in the living room and slept soundly for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Jason awoke, climbing up from the couch, he staggered to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on his face, he examined his appearance. He had no mask on and for the first time in a long while, he stared at his reflection.

Soft brown eyes and dark brown hair with strong facial features stared back at him. He was attractive, although he wasn't much of a ladies man. He noted for the first time, scars that weaved their way down the right eye, streaking across his eyes forming an X.

"How ironic," he smirked. It seemed fate had brought him to Jump City. He reflected for a moment, on how he had received those scars in the first place. The Joker, how he hated the Joker. The man had murdered his Mother in cold blood and murdered him as well. He remembered that Batman had given him strict orders to stay away from the insane maniacal psychopath. But Jason had felt the need to stop him, not to defy Bruce's orders as much as to prove to the man that being his Robin was something he needed. Something that should be his.

Jason sighed, wiping his forehead as if wiping those nightmarish memories away. He didn't want to think about the past, he just wanted to concentrate on the present. He dried his face with a towl and began preparing for work. He had not gone grocery shopping and he decided to go by the local coffee shop and buy himself breakfast with his newly aquired money.

Arriving at a coffee shop he had spotted on his sight seeing tour of Jump City, he ordered eggs and bacon for breakfast and wolfed it down quickly. No need to make a bad impression on his first day on the job. He still had his Red X suit, but it was hidden beneath his clothes. He was very tempted to teleport there but had to remind himself that he had not the Xenothium for such frivolous uses. He decided to run there.

He made his way through the city until he spotted Cooks Electronics. Huffing, he stopped, catching his breath. Straightening his suit, he walked inside. Jake Brown was waiting for him, he was surprised that his new employee was covered in sweat. "You made it! How'd you get covered in sweat?"

"I ran here," Jason huffed.

"You _ran_ here?" he asked in shock. "Don't you have a car?"

"Not exactly," Jason said truthfully.

"Then how do you plan on getting to work?"

"Taxi next time. I didn't want to be late and I was kinda in a rush."

"Well, the job we have for you is in inventory," Jake said. "If you'll follow me, Jason, we'll get you started."

"Thanks," he said, trailing behind his new boss. He led him back to where they kept all the eletronics and computer software.

"Your job is to inventory and stock shelves." Jake Brown said, "Here's a list of everything. Oh, and by the way, you'll need black pants to go with this shirt," he handed Jason one of the employee Cooks Electronic Store shirts. Jason took it and slipped it on, taking his other shirt off by slipping it over the other. He took the list and began to look over it. "Good luck," the man said, before leaving the room.

So Jason began his first workday at Cooks Electronic Store. He was busy stocking shelves and checking inventory. He soon met some of the other employees at the store. Andy Shane and Ben Hogee. Ben worked cash while Andy stocked shelves. They were quite friendly and asked him where he came from. He simply said he used to live in Gotham but then he moved to Jump City to find a better job.

"Well, let me show you around the store," Andy said, he showed Jason the isles and where everything was located. Jason easily remembered where everything was, Bruce's training had tought him to take in all details and recognize them for later recall.

He stocked the shelves and filled out inventory for nine hours. He finished stocking shelves and double checking inventory. He sighed, he couldn't believe he had come up with this crazy idea to get a real job. He should have just stuck to stealing! It was a lot easier, he mentally kicked himself. _What in the world gave you this idea, Jason? I mean, getting a job, are you crazy? What if they find your criminal record?_ He mentally admonished himself. _Jason **Todd** has a criminal record; Jason **Haywood **doesn't._

He smiled as the end of his first workday drew near; he was ready to do what he felt the nagging desire to do: steal. Stealing was like a drug to him. It gave him a rush, an exuberating feeling of adrenaline, it gave him a feeling of power, and he liked it.

As soon as the big hand of the clock hit the twelve and four o' clock came, Jason clocked out. He quickly made his way towards the bathroom; he hoped that no one noticed him. He swiftly scanned the walls and corner of the bathroom wall for security cameras. He didn't see any.

He closed the stall door behind him. Locking himself in, he slipped out of his normal clothes and straightened out his Red X uniform, he removed his black cape and aired it out, waving it through the air to remove the wrinkles. He then proceeded to climb out of the uniform and put his normal clothes on beneath his Red X suit. Clipping it back on, he placed the mask over his eyes; he was just about to reach for the latch of his stall to open it when he heard the door of the bathroom slam. _Oh, great! _He groaned inwardly. He couldn't be seen in this suit.

He saw someone's feet outside his stall. "Is someone in there? I really need to go!" It was Andy. Jason quickly flushed the toilet, which had nothing in it as he placed one hand on the utility belt while the other quickly unlocked the latch to his stall.

"Whoa!" Andy Shane exclaimed as he leaned on one of the stalls in the bathroom. "Man, what was that?" he asked himself. "I thought there was someone in there." He examined the stall, it was completely empty.

Jason teleported himself up to the rooftop of Cooks Electronic Store, he was relieved that Andy hadn't found him in the restroom. Now he had some business to take care of: Steal some Xenothium to keep him going.

**_Quick Sticky: _**_I know you all have been waiting for this chapter. I'm sorry I took so long, it's been forever since I've been inspired to write for it. Next chapter is what takes place in the Teen Titans Episode called "X". I hope I don't spoil it for those who haven't seen that episode. I just saw BATMAN BEGINS! I LOVE that movie! Ooo! The best Batman movie ever, and now I have things to use in my Mantle fic, Yeeeaaah, baby!_


	5. Chapter V: Break In

**Chapter Five: Break In**

**_Quick sticky:_**_ This is basically Teen Titans: X: Act One as seen in the eyes of Jason Todd/Red X, so Robin's narration does not appear. I really like it but I can't use it since X was told originally from the point of view of Robin. I'm terribly sorry, I liked it too, but sacrifices must be made; many sincere apologies to those who liked the voice narration by Robin. Also, Chapter One has been redone to fit the comics so go reread it._

**_Disclaimer:_**_ This will be here for a ton of reasons. I do not own Teen Titans, or the episode "X", or Jason Todd, or anything that belongs to DC Comics, or "A Death in the Family," the comic in which Jason Todd died, which will be referenced a lot in this story. Special Thanks to TheDudeLordOfFantasy who gave me all the info on Jason Todd and helped me with the Comic Aspects of this fic. Go read her Robin centered fic The Impossible Normal Life, it rocks!_

Jason teleported down to a building on the west side of town, a warehouse he had heard about that was said to have a supply of Zinonthium. To his dismay he was spotted by a local who called the Teen Titans. He immediately spotted them just as they saw him. He quickly vaulted from the warehouse roof to the locked door. Firing two gigantic X shaped Zinonthium powered gadgets at the door, they attached themselves to the lock mechanism, opening the door smoothly. He slipped inside; he had to find his precious Zinthonium, and get out before the Titans got him. Unfortunately, he had no such luck.

He ducked into the dark recesses of the warehouse, trying to avoid being seen. He, hoping he would lose them, he only needed to borrow a little time, there was another door, it was blocked by a laser wall; he grabbed a Xenothium powered grappling hook from his belt and placed it on the floor, a mirror like object protruded from it as it redirected the laser wall so that it neutralized the lasers long enough for him to duck through, he could see the one called Starfire and the one called Raven as they rushed toward him.

He quietly slipped through the door and teleported down to one of the lower levels He heard the scraping sound as the Teen Titans made their way down to where he was using the elevator shaft. He as impressed, to say the least, obviously he had underestimated them. Cyborg opened the door as Starfire and Raven rushed in after him. Cyborg followed. He ran passed them.

Jason stepped into the light. Starfire was the first to spot him and gasped in shock.

"Red X? I thought Robin was Red X!" Beast Boy said in a voice that betrayed his astonishment. Jason smirked beneath the mask; he had counted on the element of surprise, but not this much surprise.

Jason saw Robin, Dick's reaction was one of both anger and shocked horror. Jason felt amused. If only he knew the truth…but to tell him the truth now would be a foolhardy move, besides, Jason wanted to savor the moment when he told Robin who he was, he would relish the reaction of Batman's protégé. He had crossed the line, and if what Bruce said about the line between good and evil was true, then it was far too late for him to go back to being a "good guy".

He had tried so hard to please Bruce, but he was an impossible man to please. Jason had worked hard, training under him, learning martial arts, becoming Batman's second Robin. It was shortly after Richard had left that Batman had found Jason trying to steal the wheels off the Batmobile.

He had offered him a way out of the slums of Gotham City by sending him to Ma Gunn's school for troubled boys. Unfortunately, things didn't work out there, and after exposing Ma Gunn's criminal activities, Batman decided to take Jason as his new Robin.

But Jason wasn't like Dick Grayson. He did not accept all of Bruce's teaching when it came to right and wrong. He had his own world view, which was different from Bruce and Dick's. They said that there was right and wrong, black and white and lines could not be crossed. But he was that grey area, that thin line between both worlds. And it led to conflicts between Jason and Bruce.

Now seeing Dick Grayson again brought back memories of Bruce. And all the rage he felt towards the man he had at one time considered to be his mentor. He had heard that Dick had once called Bruce "Stone cold and self righteous," and Jason agreed with him. But Dick could be that way too, from what he had heard, to some degree, he was.

"Think again!" Jason said as he raised his hands firing a series of X-a-Rangs at the five Titans who dodged out of the way. Except for one, the dark Titan called Raven suddenly raised up a shield of dark energy as the X-a-Rangs exploded in succession. She was unharmed, but not for long though. He charged her with a flying kick, and she responded by bringing up another barrier.

Not wanting to have his face introduced to the dark energy that surrounded the girl, he used his belt to teleport himself out of harm's way. Winking in behind her, he took advantage of his situation and sweeping his leg low, he kicked her feet out from under her. Jason watched as she hit the floor.

Jason quickly pulled out another X-a-Rang, flicking it with ease, he watched as it unfolded and flicked out, resembling a switchblade. It flew at her at an incredible speed; the device could skewer her in two or leave her with a serious injury.

Suddenly, a green bolt of energy collided with the weapon, causing it to explode into a million pieces. He looked up to see the alien called Starfire staring at him. Her green eyes were glowing and her fists blazing.

Jason somersaulted over Starfire, using his momentum to gain distance, dodging every Starbolt that came his way. Never losing his focus, he rebounded off the wall; he gave her a hard kick in the back. She moved quickly to catch up to him.

Jason leapt from one garter to another. Starfire remained hot on his heels. Jason, showing his acrobatic prowess, whirled around, and fired two giant red lasers from his palms. He watched with pride as the lasers ricocheted off the garters, angling themselves to form a giant red "X". The alien girl smashed headlong into the blast. Screaming in agony, she plummeted from sight.

Jason Todd looked up to see Beast Boy fly up as pterodactyl. He quickly morphed into a giant gorilla, roaring loudly. He quickly shoved a red "X" into his mouth. _That will give me enough time to get away from you._ He quickly moved away from him while the green primate struggled to free himself. He morphed into a hippopotamus, opened his mouth and let the device drop out.

Beast Boy looked down at the steel beam. Realizing his precarious situation, he slipped down the steel beam as it tilted at an angle. He was hanging by his front feet, he couldn't hold out much longer. Losing his grip, he fell off and hit the floor. Jason landed smoothly a short distance away.

Jason looked up in surprise as he spotted Cyborg charging at him. Red X fired an "X" from his palm and watched with satisfaction as the robotic Titan skidded to a halt. _Just what I want you to do,_ he thought. He watched as the projectile extended itself into a giant rubber band as it attached itself to four separate crates that were stacked around the warehouse. The elastic mechanism pulled the four boxes out of the stacks and smashed into Cyborg, knocking him off his feet.

Jason looked to see Beast Boy, who had returned to human form coming towards him. Starfire swooped down and Raven moved in closer to him. Jason saw Cyborg stand to his feet, dusting off wood chips; he gave him a fighting look that he knew too well. He knew they were serious about what they were doing. Beast Boy morphed into a gorilla. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Raven levitate a crate.

Jason smiled, he couldn't help himself. He was having way too much fun. "Come on, kids." He pointed to the Red X on his chest, "X marks the spot."

Cyborg sent a blast from his Sonic Cannon streaming towards Jason Todd, who leapt to avoid it. Using his momentum, he performed a second jump to land on the floating crate. He dove down to dodge flying Starbolts aimed his way. Landing in a crouch, he looked over to see Beast Boy bring his enormous gorilla hands smashing down at him. Jason winked out of harms way, leaving Beast Boy puzzled confusion.

Jason winked back in on top of a stack of crates. He suddenly felt himself being knocked off his feet and being tackled to the floor. _I wondered what took you so long. I was starting to worry,_ he thought to himself as he came up in a crouch position looking at Batman's protégé.

Dick Grayson threw a Bird-a-Rang straight at Jason's head as he teleported himself away from having the object embedded in his face. The objected returned to Grayson's hands as his foe appeared behind him. Jason watched for his reaction as he threw a viscous punch aimed at his head.

Jason watched with approval as Robin sidestepped his blow and dropped to the floor and brought both legs up to kick him. The Boy Wonder hadn't lost his touch, he'd give him that. Jason chuckled softly as Red X, and blocked the blow with his fist. Grabbing a hold of the steel toed shoes, he vaulted into the air. Arching his back, he landed on his feet, facing Robin a second time.

Red X stood his ground as Robin aimed a blow at his face; he used his training to dodge the punch at the last second. Robin aimed another blow, but he blocked it. He somersaulted off the Boy Wonder's arm. Dropping down, he aimed a kick at Robin. Jason's foot came down so quickly that he wondered if he could see the "X" and skull icon on his boots.

To his astonishment, Grayson grabbed his leg and hurled him across the room. He smashed into the wall. Before he could move, Robin rushed over and placed a hand on his masked face.

"Who are you?" Robin demanded. He kept his hand on the mask. Jason hoped that he wouldn't be curious to unmask him.

"If I wanted you to know that, would I be wearing a mask?" replied Red X. Grabbing Robin's hand, he used one of his gadgets to send streaming volts of electricity up Robin's arm. He landed a left jab to Robin's face that sent him flying back into a pile of crates, he smashed them to splinters.

Looking up, he saw the other Titans, ready to do battle. Cyborg and Raven prepared to charge. Red X revved up his palms.

"Azarath Metrion—" Raven began, but before she could finish, Red X had jumped between them, causing their attacks to collide uselessly against each other. They could see his face in the glare from the explosion.

"Looks like you got your wires crossed," he said as he used his acrobatics of avoid Starfire's Starbolts that came at him. Extending his palms straight out, he fired a large "X" straight at her. Both collided and she was plowed into a wall. Struggling, she tried to break free as Jason approached her.

Jason scanned her with his eyes. She was very pretty, she reminded him of Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham's Police Commissioner. "You know, cutie… " he fingered her chin thoughtfully, "the only crime here is that you and I haven't gone out on a—"

He was unable to finish his sentence when he felt himself blasted off his feet and smashed into some crates. Looking up, he saw Beast Boy charging in, he morphed into a bear. Jason slammed his fist down onto the ground, sending out red lines to create a large "X" on the floor. The floor fell away as Beast Boy dropped like a rock in mid leap, falling down into the room below. "Watch your step!" he called out humorously as he leapt across the opening.

Moving towards Robin, he placed a boot on his enemy's chest and nudged him out of the way. He finally spotted what he came for. This scanner was just what he needed to use. It would help him locate Zinonthium. He grabbed it. The scanner resembled a "pepperbox" revolver, several barrels bored through a cylindrical block. A large barrel ran down the entire length of the gun from barrel to muzzle. Jason bounded away, trying to avoid Robin before he got to his feet.

"I won't let you get away with—" Robin said as he ran towards Red X. He fired an X-a-Rang at Robin's legs, tripping him up. He landed face first on the ground. Jason stopped and turned to face him.

"Better luck next time, kid. And thanks for the suit," Jason said. He truly was grateful to Dick for creating the suit. He needed it to create a new life for himself. He needed to be Red X. It was his reason he decided to become a thief again. He would use his skills to avenge himself against those who had wronged him.

He pressed the button that would make him vanish away from the warehouse safely back to his apartment. To his surprise, he appeared right back where he was. What was going on? Why didn't it work?

"Come on, come on!" he growled in frustration as he pushed the button repeatedly. He saw Robin had broken the bonds on his ankles and was coming towards him. "Great," he muttered and started to run as fast as he could.

Jason spotted an open skylight and hoisted himself up onto the roof. He kept hammering the button that would make him vanish, but all he got was a few sparks. Robin threw himself at Red X, but Jason leapt high and far, finally managing to make the escape he'd been trying to pull off.

"Catch you later!" he said as he continued putting distance between them.

* * *

Robin stood, watching Red X vanish into the darkness. _Who was he?_ He wondered. The fighting style was familiar, but there was also something else about Red X that disturbed him: Red X knew that he had made the suit. Before he could gather his thoughts together, Starfire flew up behind him.

She jabbed Robin's shoulder repeatedly. He turned to look at her "Hey! Star! Ow!" He grabbed her wrist to stop her, "That hurts!"

"Then you are not a hologram?" Starfire asked incredulously.

"No," he let go of Starfire's wrist. The three other Titans ran over to them.

Starfire kept her gaze on Robin. "The last time we faced the Red X, he was you in disguise, and you were not really there." He glared at his friends.

_"STARFIRE, CUT IT OUT!"_ Robin screamed. Starfire looked at Cyborg.

"He is not a hologram," she said Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other.

"He could still be a robot," Beast Boy said. He looked at Cyborg. "Check him for batteries."

Robin saw Cyborg raise his index finger. Robin knew what he was going to do to him. "Wait! Please! It wasn't me! He placed his right hand on his heart, and raised his left in air. "I promise!"

"It wasn't me," Robin said as he began walking across the rooftop. "Red X was a mistake—a mistake I won't ever make again." The Titans headed back to the Tower. Red X had gotten away, leaving Robin with many unanswered questions.

They stood around the Titans in their operations Center on Titans Tower. Cyborg was thoughtful. "But who is he? I mean, if Robin's the ex-Red X, who's the new guy?"

Beast Boy had various drawings and sketches s Red X. Robin noted "Part of a Cone Army" captioned over a storm trooper with Robin's face. "Time traveling" was pasted over another. A picture of Nightwing, Robin's future self." Evil twin" and "long lost brother" and "bionic monkey" plastered on the screen.

"Okay. If he's not Robin's evil twin, then he's obviously a bionic monkey infused with Robin's DNA," Beast Boy said. They all gave him looks that said they believed his theory as much as they believed someone who had told them that hot dogs were raining from the sky.

Raven used her powers to send a dark wave of energy in the shape of a hand sneaking behind Beast Boy's board filled with his various theories. She used her energies to send the board spinning, throwing a screaming Beast Boy across the room and into the kitchen. Beast Boy smashed into several food containers sending them flying up in the air.

Starfire clapped both hands to her mouth in shock when she spotted one of Killer Moth's moth larvae from when Robin and Starfire were at the Date With Destiny Prom Dance. She watched it wriggled along, too surprised to say anything. She wondered how it had ended up in the Tower. But only for a moment, there were more important things to talk about.

"Face it. Red X could be anyone," Raven said. "Anyone smart enough to find the suit and dumb enough to take it for a joyride." Beast Boy got to his feet, his eyes rolling around in his head woozily.

"And when Robin returns, he will help us to discover who." Starfire said as Robin walked into the room.

Walking towards his friends, he passed by the kitchen, which was in a lot of disarray and disorder thanks to Beast Boy being thrown into the pots, pans and food dishes. But something caught his eye on Beast Boy's Red X Theory Chart.

There was one theory, if one could take Beast Boy's crazy theories seriously, that caught his attention. "Jason Todd", he was Batman's Robin. But it didn't make sense at all, Jason was working with Bruce, so it couldn't be him. But still…the fighting style was so familiar he could have sworn…

No, he shouldn't jump to conclusions that Jason would go back to being a thief. The boy had reformed and was working to fight crime rather than committing them. Besides, he was far, far away in Gotham City.

Robin looked at the Titans. "It doesn't matter. I created Red X. Every system, every weapon. Whoever's inside that suit, he's my responsibility."

"Well, if we're gonna catch him, we at least need to figure out what he's after," Cyborg said matter-of-factly.

"I already know," Robin replied. Cyborg's face betrayed his shock.

Robin punched a command into the computer. The screen then showed and X shaped molecule. "Zinonthium. The fuel that powers the suit." Starfire gasped in surprised horror.

"No!" Raven was equally shocked.

Beast Boy stormed out angrily. _"Aw, man, I never understand anything!"_

Cyborg was fuming. "_Zinonthium?_ You powered that suit with_ Zinonthium?_ Are you crazy, man? That stuff is dangerous—and unstable! Tell me you were not stupid enough to go messing with it!"

"Like I said, it was a mistake," Robin said. "The scanner Red X stole will locate any Zinonthium within a ten-mile radius."

"So we must locate it first," Starfire said.

"He isn't the only one with a scanner. Cyborg activated a cable inside his chest and plugged it into the computer. I'm downloading the molecular signature and transmitting to your communicators."

"Thanks," Robin said as he walked towards the door, "But I won't need it."

Cyborg looked at him. "How are you gonna find the Zinonthium without a scanner?

"The same way I found it the first time," Robin answered.

* * *

Robin made his way up a steep mountain side. He headed for a domed building that resembled an observatory. But instead of an observatory, there was a large object protruding from the rooftop covered by a large tarp. He made his way up onto the top of the dome easily and dropped down into the building.

Robin landed in a crouch position, standing to look around; he was greeted with a laser blast. He quickly took cover behind a cluster of barrels, only to have a laser beam nearly fry his hair to the roots. He began moving quickly towards the shooter, avoiding laser blasts that peppered various barrels and containers.

He leaped onto a barrel, then hurled himself down onto his attacker. The man's weapon that resembled a cattle prod went skidding across the floor as Robin picked him up and slammed him against the wall.

"Professor Chang. Remember me?" Robin asked, staring at the wizened old man.

Professor Chang looked at him, recognition in his eyes. "Ah. The good little boy who likes dangerous toys." He giggled a little, "How could I forget?"

"Zinonthium." Robin demanded. "Where do you get it?"

"Nowhere. Suppliers skipped town months ago. That stuff—there's no way to get any. Unless…" Professor Chang fell silent.

Angered, Robin shoved him harder. "Talk!" Robin shouted.

"There's a tech company on the south end. Legend has it that they keep a generous supply of Zinonthium ore in their vault. But it's not for sale—and it's locked up tight. You'd have to steal it," Professor Chang said.

"Not interested," Robin replied. He threw Chang down, leaped away, and prepared to leave. "But I know someone who is." Professor Chang got on his knees and looked around, but Robin was long gone.

Cyborg used his built in scanners to search the deserted warehouse for Zinonthium. He activated his communicator. "West side's clean. You guys find anything yet?

Starfire had just finished searching the library. "Thus far, my search has been unsuccessful."

Beast Boy had finished searching a zoo. "What she said."

Raven was standing in a cemetery when she reported in. "Ditto."

The realization suddenly hit Robin. He knew where Red X was going to get his Zinonthium. "Titans! I know where Red X is going to strike. Sending coordinates."

"On my way," Cyborg said as he prepared to go. Something caught his attention and he turned to look. "Huh?" A sudden blast of energy threw him off his feet and sent him flying. He soon drifted into unconsciousness, hitting the ground with a loud thud.


	6. Chapter VI: Confrontations

**Chapter Six: Confrontations**

Jason could see Dick standing on a rooftop a few blocks away from him. He seemed so much like Bruce it was almost frightening. He saw the green Titan Beast Boy land on the roof and join him.

"So, you're pretty much kicking yourself for not getting rid of that Red X suit when you had the chance, huh?" Jason could see Robin's intense expression and knew that he was angry at himself about what he had done, and he knew that Bruce probably wouldn't be pleased if he knew either.

"Uh, forget I said anything," Beast Boy said nervously.

"I couldn't destroy it. The Xenothium power core is too dangerous to dispose of. It was supposed to stay locked away." Red X saw Raven emerge onto the deck. He began to move over to where they were with learned caution. He knew the consequences of leaping into the fray without thinking, and it had cost him his life.

"No sign of Red X," Raven reported.

"Nor of Cyborg," Starfire added as she touched down beside her.

Robin picked up his communicator and punched in Cyborg's coordinates. "Cyborg! Report! Cyborg!" he looked worried as he put his communicator away.

"X must have attacked him. If Cyborg's hurt, it's my fault," he walked passed the other titans and Starfire looked at him. Jason moved stealthily across the roof until he was perched above them. They didn't even notice him eavesdropping on them.

"Robin," Starfire began. He interrupted her.

I'm responsible, Starfire, for everything that's happened."

"No, Robin. The error you made, it is in the past. You are no longer the one inside that suit."

"And personally," Jason said, standing from his crouching position, "It looks much cooler on me."

"Move!" Robin ordered as Jason smirked beneath his mask. He jumped down and grabbed two pairs of X-a-Rangs from his utility belt and aimed them at the two Titans. The X shaped boomerangs flew forward, the two quickly evaded them and he looked up to see Raven and Beast Boy charging towards him. Beast Boy had become a green rhino and Raven was revving up her powers to cast a spell.

Red X easily launched an X-a-Rang at them, his aim was excellent and the boomerang smashed into Beast Boy, which sent him spinning like a bowling ball back into Raven. He saw them go rolling back toward the roof's edge. He watched as they rolled down to a lower part of the roof. He saw Starfire make an effort to push them back with her superhuman strength. She skidded to the very precipice of the ledge and lifted them up over her head and carried them to safety.

Jason waited for Robin as the Boy Wonder sprinted towards him. He moved just a little out of Robin's reach and the Titan's leader stumbled but managed to stay on his feet. Red X watched his opponent turn around and charge again. He dodged him by turning with the attack so that Robin hit nothing but air. Robin fell to his knees. Rising quickly, he was about to attack when Jason suddenly grabbed his mask and pulled it back like a slingshot. Releasing it, the mask snapped back, hitting Robin in the face.

_I've always wanted to try that, _Jason thought. He would have laughed out loud if he hadn't decided that it was time to make his exit. He saw Dick Grayson stumble back, clutching his masked eyes as he let out a surprised cry of pain. Jason moved forward and leapt down onto the roof of a building far below him. He knew they had his Xenothium. It was time he left.

* * *

Robin finally regained his balance and straightened out his mask. His eyes throbbed and Red X was gone. He quickly made his way over to his friends. Raven and Beast Boy were stuck together, bound by a large red X. Beast Boy was still in his animal form and Raven tried to blow his rhinoceros tail out of her face.

"And now I smell like Rhino butt," Raven muttered, disgusted. Starfire tired to release them from their captive position, only to have the boomerang snap back into them. Beast Boy lost his concentration and returned to his human form.

"Dude! You think you gave this guy enough gadgets?" Beast Boy asked sarcastically.

After Raven and Beast Boy got untangled, Robin and his teammates dropped down into the building. Once they landed, Robin gave them their instructions. "Split up, and be careful. I don't want anyone else getting hurt." He moved down the hallway and turned a corner.

Raven flew through the room, looking for any sign of Red X. She thought she spotted something and moved to investigate. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a glint of red. She was suddenly blasted off her feet by a stream of a red, sticky substance. She slammed against the wall and tried to break free as the red liquid covered her head completely. She tried to scream but she couldn't breathe, then the world faded to black and she slipped into oblivion.

Beast Boy was trying to track Red X using his scent when suddenly, he spotted something; his eyes went wide and he moved to dodge a dog catcher's noose but it ht snapped around his neck. A man pushed a button and Beast Boy yelped in shock.

Starfire was creeping down the hallway. She stopped. She thought she heard someone following her. She turned, half expecting to see Red X standing behind her. She powered up her Starbolts. Instead of Red X, she saw someone else, someone armed and dangerous. "Who? Who are you?" she managed to ask. There was a blinding flash, she managed to scream and then the darkness overcame her.

Robin was moving down a hallway, looking this way and that, warily searching for Red X. He moved toward an enormous door. _This must be where they keep all the Xenothium. _Suddenly, he heard a loud, shrill scream. "Starfire!" Robin moved back down the hall, he had to find Starfire.

He didn't see Red X appear behind him. The thief moved a few steps forward. "What's the matter, kid?" he heard the voice and looked behind him. "Don't you want to play? After all, they're your toys."

Jason pulled out five X-a-Rangs and launched them at Robin. The Boy Wonder dropped to his knees and the boomerangs hit the control panel. The door opened and Red X saw the labyrinth of security beams. Flipping back, he began to navigate his way towards the Xenothium ore. He sprinted and somersaulted through the maze of lasers as Robin followed close behind.

Leaping from wall to wall, Robin pursued the thief, expertly avoiding the trigger beams. Jason looked behind him and grinned, he was having fun now. He flew down to a lower floor. The adrenaline rush was exhilarating, he hadn't felt this good in a long time. Arms outstretched, he shot a red X into the glass, creating an entrance that he slipped through.

He watched as Robin's face smacked into the glass, his expression was contorted with pain and surprise. Red X sprinted down the hall and found a dark corner to hid e in. Robin landed on the floor and ran until he came to a dead halt. Between him and the door was a large chasm. He had a feeling it was a security measure and tried to think of a way to get across without triggering it.

He didn't even see Red X until it was too late. "After you," he said, and Robin was suddenly elbowed onto the floor. He heard a loud beep and looked down as a large red X appeared beneath him. He looked up in time to see the laser cannon and jumped away to avoid getting blasted. Another X appeared and he scrambled to his feet and started running across the room, barely avoiding the laser fire. He ran in a zigzag pattern and charged straight ahead, he was almost to the other side when Red X landed in front of him.

"Thanks for the hand, kid," Red X said as the door shut in front of his eyes. He slammed his fist into the door and turned to stare at the red laser.

Red X closed the door behind him. He walked to the center of the room where the computer console was. He only needed to push the button to open the containment field surrounding the Xenothium and he'd have everything he needed to keep him going for a long while. He pushed the button shutting down the field and watched as the mechanical pincers grab the Xenothium. He took it and grabbed a container. "Xenothium ore," he smiled. "Enough to power the suit for a good long while." Might as well take more than enough.

He began to load a container full of Xenothium. "I love it when the good guy wins."

He heard a low rumble and looked behind him as a red laser beam shot through the wall. He watched it circle around and saw the door fall away, revealing Robin holding the laser cannon.

"You're not going to win," Robin said determinedly. He dropped the laser cannon and launched himself at Red X. He executed a flying kick and the thief slammed against the wall, dropping the container of Xenothium.

"Kid, you are taking life _way_ too seriously." Jason climbed to his feet and ran towards Robin. He managed to duck as Robin jumped over him. Robin turned around and launched a handful of explosive pellets at him. He leapt out of the way as they exploded and landed on hands. Flipping back, he threw a handful of Xs at him. Robin ducked and unsheathed his Bo Staff.

Red X activated an x shaped razor blade on his hand. The long blades unsheathed themselves and he rose up to attack. He slashed at Robin's staff and watched as he ducked low to the floor. Robin swept the staff low and Red X jumped back. Robin rose to his feet and brought the staff behind his back changing hands as Jason pushed his X shaped blade against the metal rod. Robin shoved him back hard and he jumped back. Regaining his balance, he bent his body back to avoid a blow to the face from Robin's staff as he leapt at him. Hr brought his right hand up and Robin blocked it, he punched at him with his left and Robin avoided it, he slammed his staff into Jason and he flew back onto the floor.

He sat up and sent the blades on his hand spinning like miniature saw blades. He made a viscous swipe for Robin's head. He ducked and rolled out of the way. He expertly avoided another blow and backed up. He twirled his Bo Staff and struck at him. Red X blocked the blows and took another swipe at Robin's head. The Titan's leader ducked down low and sent his foot sweeping out, knocking Red X back again. Red X slammed his Xs down on the staff and they stayed entangled. Robin and Red X moved closer to each other. Robin's face was set with determination.

"Why did you steal the suit? What are you planning to do?" Robin demanded.

"Whatever I want," Red X laughed. Jason bent down and flipped Robin over his head, pushing him off the ground with his knees. "Not everybody likes to play the big villain, kid. I'm a thief, I'm not threatening your precious city, just looking out for number one." His opponent landed on his feet and stood up.

Robin brandished his staff. "So you're not psychotic, you're just selfish."

Jason held up his hand in a gesture of peace. "Lighten up, Chuckles. I'm not such a bad guy, once you get to know me." He then launched a pair of Xs at Robin.

Robin deflected an X with his staff and fell as one knocked him off his feet. Red X leapt up and brought a foot smashing down on the floor Robin rolled out of the way and used his momentum to execute a quick kick that sent Jason smashing into the wall for a second time.

_Why do I always fall for that? _Jason thought as stared at his Xenothium container. He came up with an idea as he struggled to his feet. He grabbed the container of Xenothium and ran over to opening that had once been the door.

"Playtime's over, Kid. Back off, or I trip the power cord," he warned. "And the cord triggers the rocks, I don't think you want that on your conscience." He decided to play on Robin's conscience; Jason knew he was very straight laced. Right and wrong were always in black and white for him. He would use that to his advantage.

"And I don't think you want to be disintegrated," Robin answered. He prepared to launch a Bird-a-Rang at him when suddenly a group of shadows caught his attention. Jason turned his head too, just in time to see a man who looked like a spacemen raise a two pronged rod, filled with red Xenothium and fire it straight at him. He had no time to react. Screaming, he hit the floor and passed out.

Robin stared wide-eyed in shock as they shot him too. He felt to his knees and tried in vain to get up. He watched the men in the protective suits go up and pull containers of Xenothium out of the wall, shut the door and walk away. He couldn't let this happen. The situation had gone from bad to worse. And it was all Red X's fault.

One of the men placed a monitor in front of his face. Turning around, he walked away.

"The Xenothium!" Robin exclaimed.

A wizened old man's face appeared on the screen. "Yes. And I do so appreciate it."

"Chang!" Robin shouted.

"Since you two were doing the break-in, I decided to cash in. I'm sick of selling to bad boys. I'm ready to be one. And now that I finally have enough Xenothium to power my disintegrator cannon, I can be very, very bad." He pointed to a large machine, draped in a cloth. One of the men pulled the cloth away to reveal a large disintegrator cannon.

"I won't let you get away with this!" Robin shouted.

"Oh, I think you will. Because, my good little boy, I didn't just steal the ore. I stole your friends." Robin saw his four friends captive in blue capsules. He glared at the screen. "Stay out of this," Professor Chang warned, "Or I'll test my cannon on them!" The screen went black.


	7. Chapter VII: Pseudo Heroics

**Chapter Seven: Pseudo-Heroics**

Jason felt his head throbbing as he regained consciousness. He felt as if he'd been hit by a semi. He pushed himself to his feet and let out a loud groan, rubbing the back of his head. "Okay, who were the Moon Men?"

He stood up and looked around. He suddenly saw the bars rising out of the floor. "Huh?" He turned to look around the room.

"Criminals," Robin's voice said. Jason turned around and looked at him. Placing his hands on the bars, Red X stared at him. "Just like you."

"Come on kid, you don't really think this playpen can hold me. He saw Robin push a button and an electric shock surged through his hands. He let go with a yelp of pain.

"You don't even care, do you?" Robin glared. "A lowlife madman just got his hands on enough Xenothium to disintegrate the entire city, and it's your fault!"

"Don't you mean _our_ fault?" Jason smirked. He might not be perfect, but Dick Grayson couldn't throw all the blame on him.

"At least I'm going to do something about it. And if you cared about anything other than yourself, you'd be helping!"

"Sorry kid, some guys don't like to play the hero," Jason sighed sadly. That wasn't who he was anymore, and Robin wasn't going to be able to change his mind.

"I'll be back to take you to jail," Robin said, pointing a finger at him. The Boy Wonder turned around and walked away. Dick Grayson had not changed; he was still the same, straight as an arrow and stiff as a board concerning right and wrong. Jason waited until the door shut and narrowed his eyes. He knew that the console was set on locked.

He let out a chuckle. Robin actually thought he could just lock him in here and expect him to wait around to be dragged off to jail. The last thing he wanted to do was be unmasked before he had the chance to exact his revenge upon the Joker. He was bound and determined to escape.

He began to search his utility belt for anything that might help him. He eventually found some encryption prefixes. "Good," he muttered. "An electro-hack. Just what I need." Now to get it to the control panel on the computer, that was going to be a problem.

He stared down at the controls. He began to examine them. It was a remote control electro-hack. This was great! He didn't even need to be next to the computer to hack into it. He began to try to break the security code. The symbols on his electro-hack changed from red to green, and soon he hacked into the computer and found the controlsand unlocked the cage.

He wondered what he should do, he thought maybe he could sneak out with all the Xenothium he could carry, but then he remembered something, _A lowlife madman just got his hands on enough Xenothium to disintegrate the entire city_. If he just left, Professor Chang just might blow up his house, then where would he live? The last thing he wanted was to have to live on the street and eat of out garbage bins or Salvation Army soup kitchens or homeless shelters.

He decided to go get rid of Chang first, that was the only way to ensure that he'd be able to get his hands on the Xenothium without worrying about having his apartment obliterated with him in it. He began heading toward the door and opened it. How was he supposed to find Professor Chang if he had no idea where he was? He walked back to the computer and hacked into the system. He downloaded the schematics and blueprints for the entire building.

He noticed there was a very large observatory on the top floor. Jason guessed that was where the disintegrator cannon might be. It was the perfect place for it. High above the city, it was the perfect place to put the Xenothium-powered weapon. With a limitless view, Chang could level the entire metropolitan area. He walked over to the walls and pulled out a drawer that was supposed to hold the Xenothium, to his disappointment, he found it empty. The Moon Men must have stolen it.

No doubt it would be used to power the disintegrator cannon. Jason began sprinting toward an elevator he had seen on the schematics. Ducking inside, he took the elevator to the top floor. He began making his way down a long hallway where the disintegrator cannon was.

He knew that he would have to be very careful now. He didn't want to be caught, by Chang or the Titans. He slid up against the wall and edged his way toward the door. He thought he heard a voice and strained to hear. He thought it was Professor Chang. He saw a large observation door open, revealing a beautiful view of Jump City.

"Buildings, neighborhoods, lives…Countless targets just waiting to be disintegrated." He heard Change chuckle as he made his way over to a round containment cubical. Jason saw him stop in front of the Titan Starfire.

"Tell me, pretty girl, have you ever seen something ripped apart, molecule by molecule?" Chang asked with a derisive laugh. "It's breathtaking."

Red X saw Starfire's eyes blaze green and blast open the first layer of glass that stood between her and the old man. She tried to blast through the second but the material nullified her green solar energy.

"You are a bad man!" Starfire screamed angrily.

Professor Chang put a hand against his ear and leered at her, "Oh, if you think I'm bad now, you're going to be _really_ impressed once I finish with your city—and move on to you." He turned away from her.

"Your plans shall fail! Robin will—"

"Not be joining us," Chang interrupted. "Not with your lives on the line, far too risky for a good boy like him." Chang's henchmen loaded the Xenothium and stepped away. Jason watched as the professor walked away and made his way to the controls of his disintegrator cannon, instantly, the machine was at full power. Chang raised it up so he could see the city.

"Mmm, got a nice smell, doesn't it?" Chang said after inhaling the odor of newly revved up machinery and Xenothium.

Jason moved onto a balcony and found a shadowy place to conceal himself. He'd wait for the opportune moment to take out Chang and snag the Xenothium.

Chang revved up the disintegrator cannon.

"I've spent years hiding from this cursed city." He stared out the observatory. "Now let them hide from me! Prepare to fire!"

Suddenly, Robin swung into view and knocked Professor Chang off-balance. The man's foot hit a lever and the disintegrator cannon tilted up and fired at Titans Tower, blowing off a top portion of the building. Jason whistled. He definitely did _not_ want that to happen to his apartment.

Robin landed safely on the other side of the walkway and faced Professor Chang. "You just made a big mistake."

The cylinders at the back of the cannon opened and rotated. Another load of Xenothium powered up. Chan raised his hand and shouted, "Attack!"

Two of Chang's goons fired their hoses filled with Xenothium. Robin took a few steps back and then leapt down to where they were standing. He landed between them and one fired a stream of the red liquid. Robin leaped out of the way and watched as his opponent was covered in Xenothium. He landed on the man and knocked him out, flipping back he slammed the other man on the ground, grabbing his weapon he ran forward to engage the other men coming to stop him.

He turned a nozzle on the hose and sent a spray of red Xenothium down at the other men. He created a path for him to descend on them. Without hesitation Robin leapt onto the sea of red Xenothium, sliding down it like a skateboarder on a half pipe. He flew off and kicked one of his attackers, using his momentum; he slammed into another man clothed in a protective suit.

He struck down another, and suddenly wrenched one of the Xenothium staffs from another Moon Man and wielding them like oversized escrima sticks, he slammed the pole into the smashed it into a man on his left, then whirl around to attack the man on his right. Both men fell unconscious. Robin stared at them.

Four more came running. Starfire screamed a warning, "Robin!"

Robin threw down the poles and moved to engage them. He ducked low, avoiding a blast. Coming up quickly, he punched one and kicked another. He swept his hand across the man's face and suddenly yanked a hose connected to the breath mask. The man fell and Robin dodged as a man took a swipe at him with his Xenothium pole. The man lost his balance and fell forward. Robin pulled out a hose in the back and the man found he was trapped in a pile of Xenothium.

Robin tossed the cord aside and looked up to see Professor Chang swivel his fully recharged disintegrator cannon around to face him. Thinking quickly, he fired his grappling hook up into the ceiling, pushing the button, he rose rapidly into the air. Chang laughed and brought his cannon up to bear on Robin.

A large blast shook the building and burned a hole through a portion of the ceiling as Robin swing wide to avoid it. Swing his legs, he swung back and forth, he flew onto the walkway and began running as enormous blasts of Xenothium shot his way. He somersaulted low, avoiding a shot but was knocked off his feet by the next. Flying backward, he managed to grab a lose piece of the railing.

He heard the cannon move up and knew it was aimed at him. "Okay, good boy. Who should I destroy first? You? Or your pretty friend?" Chang pointed the cannon downwards.

"Starfire!" Robin screamed, reaching out his hand, but there was no way he was going to be able to get to her. And his grip was slipping.

Jason decided that he wasn't going to let Chang get away with this. He watched Starfire struggle to escape her prison. He'd had enough of his by now and decided to do something about it. He wasn't going to let Robin and his friends have all the fun, and besides, he liked Starfire, and in his opinion, she was too cute to die. He moved across from Chang and grabbed five X-a-Rangs and threw them into the control panel. Chang shielded his eyes from the bright light.

At that moment, Robin lost his grip and felt himself falling down to the floor; Jason launched himself across the balcony and swung across, grabbing the Boy Wonder out of the air. He pushed him safely to the other side. Robin rolled over and looked at him.

"I thought you didn't like to play the hero," he said.

"Doesn't' mean I don't know how," Red X replied. There was no way he was going to get Chang on his own, might as well have some help. Many hands make light work, and it would make his job go a lot easier. Red X pulled himself onto the walkway and assumed a fighting stance.

Six henchmen came at them and they charged forward, leaping in the air, they smashed down on them. Red X elbowed one man and punched another while Robin executed a kick into two of them. X punched another as Robin knocked down one on his right. There was one left and they both turned and executed a roundhouse kick into the last man's face, knocking him against the railing and he slumped to the floor.

A frustrated Professor Chang slammed his fists into the controls, screaming in rage, "No, no, no!" his fit caused the machine to activate and fire the Xenothium, it swerved toward Starfire.

She let out a loud "Eek!" and ducked down as the energy barely skimmed above her head. Professor Chang managed to regain control of the cannon and carved a gigantic circular hole, causing the wall to fall away completely.

Robin saw the laser blast coming and shouted a warning to Red X, "Look out!" he managed to grab the thief by his shoulders and yank him out of the way, they both ran to safety. Robin then pounced on Professor Chang, as he looked around bewildered. Robin knocked him out with a quick blow and he fell to the floor.

Red X landed near a prostrate Professor Chang. "Time to get what I came for," Jason said.

"Time's up," Raven countered as Robin and the other Titans landed in front of him.

Robin pulled out one of his disks. "Thanks for the help X, but don't think that means you can help yourself."

"No problem, kid. This should keep me going for quite a while." He held up the Xenothium.

"I'm afraid that won't do you any good without this," Robin held up Jason's utility belt. Red X's eyes went wide as he realized it was missing. He looked down and realized the truth. He smiled, Dick was very resourceful, and he was impressed that he'd taken it from him during the fight. Red X stepped back and stumbled on a loose piece of concrete, he quickly regained his balance.

"Nor bad, kid," Jason congratulated. "Not bad." Not many people could steal from him and he not notice. No wonder this costume had been a great disguise, if he hadn't known it was Robin beneath it, he would have passed for a real thief.

He stepped back and threw down the now useless tube of Xenothium. It exploded in a flash of red and fell and Jason let himself fall back into the distant river. He landed safely in the water and dove down so he would not be spotted. He swam to the far side of the shore and climbed out of the water. He slipped into a nearby sewer and began making his way into the heart of the city, he was a street kid; he'd find his way home without any problem. He felt he had enough adventure for one night, and he knew it would take more than mere thievery to accomplish his only mission in his new life: Revenge on the Joker. Stealing no longer had the same thrill it once had; he would never be satisfied until the Harlequin of Hate was dead. Stone. Cold. Dead.


	8. Chapter VIII: The Demon's Head

**Chapter Eight: The Demon's Head**

Jason Todd awoke to the blaring alarm in his room. He slammed his hand down and shut it off with a loud _bang_. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He still felt sore from the Zinothium blast he had received at the hands of the Moon Men. He sighed; he knew he had to get to Cook's Electronics so he wouldn't be late for work.

He sighed and walked to the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face and looked at his reflection. There were no visible bruises from his battle with Robin and Professor Chang's goons. Jason felt exhausted. He wished he could sleep but he knew he couldn't do that.

He rummaged through the kitchen, trying to find something to eat. He found some cereal, but realized he hadn't had time to get milk, so he poured tap water on it and ate it. He then waited outside for Jake Brown the manager of Cook's Electronics offered to come and get him, and he had gratefully accepted.

The car pulled up and Jake got honked the horn. "Hey Jason! Get in here!" Jason hopped into the back seat of the car and they drove to the electronics store. Once there, Jason began his workday. He stocked shelves, keeping an eye out for equipment that he might need in his crusade against the Joker and other supervillains in Gotham City.

He saw many different types of speakers, CD players, and television sets but didn't see anything that would help him. He decided that it would be better if he went looking for his equipment elsewhere, as in the black market. No city was without one, no matter how safe it seemed. He finished his hours and headed out.

Jason began moving through the city, he missed his utility belt and the gadgets. It made his work much easier. If only he could get it back, but how? He didn't think he could get another. That kind of thing wasn't exactly for sale.

_I have to get started; I can't just stay here, have a job, and live like everyone else. I have to do something for myself. I can't let go of my past, what the Joker did to me. I have to kill him._ Jason's thoughts swirled around in his mind. Then the thought came to him, _what if Batman had killed the Joker? What if he avenged my death?_ If so, then surely he could return to Wayne Manor.

Bruce would be overjoyed, he would say it was a miracle; he would be welcomed and retake his place by Bruce's side as Batman's Robin. He wouldn't mention stealing the Red X suit, Bruce would never know, and life could return to the way it was. He wanted his life back, and he was determined to take it, he wouldn't fail Bruce again. Not after what happened.

He shook his head. Where did _these _thoughts come from? Bruce was a disappointment; he hadn't even been able to save him. Was he actually starting to lose his nerve? Jason shook his head, he'd have to find out the truth about what happened, how he died, everything about what had happened afterward.

He made his way towards one of the abandoned warehouse. He decided to look around. If there wasn't anyone there he could stash stolen goods here. It would be a great hiding place, far enough from his apartment that he could keep it hidden and not cause any suspicion. He combed the entire area for people, fortunately, there weren't many. This was a seedy part of town and not a lot of people could be seen walking down the sidewalks.

Jason finished his internal inspection of the warehouse and decided that he should probably head home, although he felt disappointed that he no longer possessed the utility belt or Zinothium. He would have to steal the old fashioned way, luckily, he was very experienced in that area and combined with his martial arts prowess, he could get whatever he wanted and probably not be caught by the police and there was a chance he could evade the Titans. He had a feeling he was the least of their worries for the time being.

He'd noticed a gun shop near the edge of the warehouses. It was closed now and if he was going to carry out his vengeance crusade, he was going to need plenty of arms and weaponry to do it. Crime in Gotham was no laughing matter and he knew the more firepower he had, the more successful he would be. He knew he had access to civilian weaponry, but how could he get his hands on military arms? He decided to put that problem on hold and cross that bridge when the time came.

Jason moved into a darker part of a nearby alley and slipped out of his civilian clothes and into his Red X suit. He frowned, now he had no utility belt and no equipment to use to break into the building. Jason stuffed his clothes into a backpack. His intention was to go in through the roof but with no grappling hook to aid him he wouldn't be able to get up there. He didn't want to kick the door open, that would leave evidence behind, and he didn't want Dick Grayson and his teammates connecting this robbery to him.

He moved toward the front door and removing a paper clip from his pocked, twisting it into a makeshift lock pick, he shoved it into the keyhole. Bending down, he listened as the gears clicked inside the lock; he kept twisting and turning the pin until he heard the door open. He stepped inside and found something inside the store to prop the door open and began looking around.

It took him a few minutes for his eyes to readjust to the darkness, but soon he grew used to it and turned on the miniature flashlight he swiped off one of his coworkers when he wasn't looking. Soon, Jason found the weapons he needed, along with the ammunition. Jason made sure he had what he needed and crept over to the security camera. He cleverly unplugged the cord and left it dangling in the air. He had made sure to wear gloves so his fingerprints could not be traced.

Jason found the security terminal and expertly hacked into the system. He then broke into the cameras and erased them. He then decided to erase the entire hard drive in order to make it look like someone had broken into the computer and stolen the credit card numbers. It would be a way to confuse the authorities.

He finished and shut the computer off; he then made his way toward the door and tried to think of a way to get out without setting off the alarm. He decided to forget it; he'd already disabled the security cameras and erased the computer. If the alarm went off he knew he'd have a minute to get away from the area, and that was plenty of time.

He pushed the door open and the alarm blared. Jason ignored it and sprinted away from the building. He wove in and out of alleys until he came to a dark area and changed into his civilian clothing. He wiped the sweat off his face and smiled satisfied. The robbery had gone off without a hitch. Now it was time to drop this off at his abandoned warehouse and go home.

He snuck into the empty warehouse and put his newly acquired weapons in a corner. Jason smiled. It felt so _good_ to know that some day soon, the Joker was going to pay for what he did to Jason. The maniac was going to die, and it would be at the hand of the boy he murdered. That was truly funny. But Jason knew that it would be quite a while before that day came.

Jason walked out the door and put a makeshift lock on it. He knew that no one would notice, if they did they would think it had been there already. Once he stole enough equipment he would rig up a surveillance system so he could keep an eye on his goods. Jason knew it would be good if he had a hidden base somewhere so he could operate from somewhere besides his apartment.

He decided that his next move after work was to find a remote place that would serve as a secret base. There were plenty of places to hide in this vast city; it was just a matter of finding one that would serve his purposes. Jason made his way home and went to bed; he decided to continue his activities the next day, and he had to get the ball rolling.

After work, Jason headed out and made his way towards the hardware store. Not Cook's Electronics but the local Circuit City. He broke in quickly and cut the camera wires and disabled the security. He found the cameras and other equipment he needed and made his way out without triggering the alarm. He'd stuffed what he could into a backpack and zipping it up, hurried down the street.

Jason looked up and saw a man walking towards him. He had blond hair and wore a strange eyepiece over his right eye. "Who are you?" Jason asked his fingers folded into fists.

"I am Count Vertigo," the man replied. "I just wanted to talk to a young man…named Jason Todd."

"How do you know my name? I'm supposed to be dead you know." Jason stared at him. "What do you want with me?"

"I represent a certain individual, you may have heard of him. Ra's Al Ghul."

"I've heard of him," Jason said warily. "What does this Ra's Al Ghul want with me?"

"He's interested in…shall we say, what happened you. He wants to help you discover the truth about your death, and help you get your life back."

"Why should I seek the help of your Ra's Al Ghul? What's in it for me, besides that he knows the truth."

"We can lead you in the path of true justice, and make the criminal underworld fear you. You, Robin, the Batman, we all seek the same goals, but the League of Shadows follows the path of true, pure justice."

"Where do I find him?" Jason asked. He wanted answers, but he didn't feel he should go back to Bruce for them. What answers could he get from him? He would have no explanation of what had happened to him. He decided to take Count Vertigo up on his offer. He'd heard Ra's Al Ghul was evil, but his ideals appeared to be sound. What was so evil about him that the Batman opposed him? Jason wanted to find out.

"Tell Ra's Al Ghul I'm interested in his offer."

"I'll give him your regards. Please be mindful, the League of Shadows wishes to help you but in turn you must help us."

"What's the catch?" Jason asked. These people were full of riddles.

"We have been contacted by an organization calling itself The Brotherhood of Evil, now the League of Shadows does not like to associate itself with such individuals but they have specifically asked for your help in defeating the Teen Titans. They contacted us so that we might contact you for them."

"Why would they be interested in me? All I know is that it is a gorilla and an old man, along with some girl with stretchy superpowers who work for a Brain in a jar."

"So it's said. They can get you what you want though."

"What would that be?" Jason asked.

"Zinothium," Count Vertigo replied. "The League knows it powers your suit."

"How do I contact this Brotherhood of Evil?"

"Madam Rouge will contact you soon enough. For now, Ra's wishes to meet you in Tibet in an ancient temple in the mountains and at the bottom of these mountains, there is a rare blue flower. Pick one of these flowers, when you arrive, show them to him and he will help you find what you are looking for."

"I understand," Jason turned away from Count Vertigo without a word. He began walking back to his apartment. He would have to start saving money for his trek around the world. It was going to be a long journey, but he knew it would be worth it.

He arrived back at his apartment and went to sleep. He woke up the next day and went to work, he enjoyed it and began to make friends with some of the workers. He met Jim Andrews, he worked the cash register and stocked shelves, and Jason found that he had an interest for electronics and computers.

"So you're from Gotham huh? I have to ask, did you ever see the Batman?"

"Maybe once or twice," Jason lied. He didn't want to connect himself to Batman early. Not that it mattered but it could lead someone to deduce that he might know the man.

"Oh," Jim said, "When did you see him?"

"Saw him on a rooftop," Jason answered. He hoped that would be a good enough explanation that would be appropriate for the subject but not give anything away.

"Cool," Jim turned and headed to the supply room. Jason watched him leave and breathed a sigh of relief. That had been a close call. Hopefully, the subject wouldn't come up again.

He spent weeks working and shelving, saving money so he could leave soon. He would need it to pay his rent while he was away so he wouldn't cause suspicion as a vacant tenet of his apartment. He kept stealing weapons and electronics, although he didn't steal from Cook's he found there were other stores that he could hit. His stockpile in the warehouse was growing. Jason had stolen a state of the art security system that was now installed in the warehouse and he kept constant surveillance of his stash.

He still had not contacted the Brotherhood of Evil. Not that they were trying very hard to contact him in the first place. Other than the message from Count Vertigo, the Brotherhood had not even sent one of their members to speak with im.

It took Jason six long months of work and theft, but finally he had enough money to leave. The Brotherhood of Evil was still an option, but obviously they were no longer interested in him. Jason was heading back to his apartment when suddenly, the sky turned from a bright warm day to pitch black darkness.

_What is going on?_ Jason thought. He fumbled blindly until his hand found a wall. He pressed himself up against it and began stumbling toward his apartment. He finally made it to his house and groped for a flashlight. Jason turned it on and looked around. He made his way to the light switch and turned it on. The lights came on and Jason looked around the room.

"Who hit the off switch on the sun?" Jason muttered. "Well, I best get out of here." He grabbed a pair of binoculars and headed out the door. Everyone had turned on their lights and some were making their way outside to see what was going on. Jason moved among them at a steady pace, he made his way outside and made his way toward the bay. He could see something was happening at Titans Tower. He thought he saw what appeared to be flames of fire, but no, he squinted and stared. They were creatures made of fire and he had a feeling they were something supernatural, though he couldn't say what they were.

Jason could see that the Titans were greatly outnumbered. And his detective skills took note that the Titan called Raven was not with them. He made the connection that these creatures that were attacking the Tower had something to do with her, but he didn't know what it was.

He watched as the battle raged on. He watched as the Titans were steadily beaten down. He could have helped them if he wanted, but Jason didn't care about them. It wasn't his fight. He continued observing the battle, he saw Robin engage the man he'd vaguely heard about, his name was Slade and he was a rumored assassin and supervillain to boot. He attacked Slade with a pair of escrima sticks, smashing them into him. Slade's body bent back impossibly far, and to Jason's surprise he stood up and sent a steam of fire straight at Robin and he watched him go flying across the island, surrounded by the fiery creatures. They were everywhere. Jason watched for a few more minutes and then left the crowd.

He decided to head to his warehouse, whatever was coming, he wanted to remain undiscovered. He stepped inside and grabbed one of the rifles from the corner. He stood at the door and watched for whatever was to come. It seemed like hours. Jason's patience ran out and he opened the door and peered outside.

Jason stared as an enormous flame of fire sped toward him. He quickly ducked back into the warehouse as he saw the red flames seep through the door and surround him. There was no way for him to escape. There was nowhere to run. He felt the inferno lick up his knees and shoot up across his torso.

He let out a grunt of pain as the fire engulfed him. It was like being in Hell, the continual burning, similar to the explosion that had killed him the first time. It was like dying all over again, and just as before, there was no way he could stop it. He cried out in agony and dropped the rifle on the ground. The world stopped spinning. Time froze. And he slipped into oblivion.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity before Jason's eyes opened. He blinked painfully, as if he were waking up from some long nightmare. Jason looked up, and saw that everything was normal again, obviously something had happened, whatever had caused the creatures to attack the Titans' Tower and the fire that had burned him alive and halt his very existence was gone now. He inhaled deeply and smiled. It was time he left, for a long, long while.

Jason headed back to his apartment and packed some clothes into a carry-on bag. He stuffed the side zippers full of cash and made sure he had the necessities with him. He stopped by work and told Jake Brown that he needed to quit for personal reasons and turned in his resignation notice.

After saying goodbye, he headed out the door, got in a taxi and went to Jump City Airport. He boarded a plane bound for China and landed. He began to make his way towards the Himalayan Mountains to search for the temple Count Vertigo had told him about. The man had said that Ra's Al Ghul would be there.

He made his way toward the mountains. Stopping in a nearby village, he slept in a small nook beneath a small hut. The family living there found him and took pity on him. They let him into their home and gave him what little food they had.

"Thank you," he said gratefully. "I don't know how I can repay you."

"You owe me no debt, the stranger said.

"Tell me, have you heard of Ra's Al Ghul?" Jason asked.

"Never heard of him," the old man said flatly.

"Have you heard of a temple located somewhere in the mountains?" Jason demanded, anger creeping into his voice.

"Calm down young man," the old man said calmly. "I have heard of a temple in the mountains, thought I myself have never been there."

"Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, it is across the valley, where the blue flowers grow." The old man pointed to the hills.

"Thank you, I will repay you anyway I can." Jason gave the man a formal, respectful bow.

"As I said before, you owe me no debt. And you will always be welcome here, stranger."

Jason turned and walked away. He headed toward the mountains. He trekked across the valley. He trudged across the grass until he came to a halt in front of the mountain. He spotted one of the blue flowers and remembered what Count Vertigo had told him. He stooped down and plucked a flower from the earth. He tucked it into his coat pocket. He straightened himself out and began heading toward the mountain. Jason walked up the mountainside until walking became too difficult. He then began to search for handholds and foot holds as he started his ascent up the mountain. Having no rock climbing equipment made it difficult. But eventually he made it to the top. He sat down for a moment to catch his breath.

He pushed himself to his feet and approached the large temple door. His body was covered in snow and he shivered from the cold wind that froze icicles in his hair. Jason lurched toward the door and pounded it for all he was worth. He heard the doors open with a loud, creaking groan, he managed to stagger inside and two men shut the door behind him.

Jason looked up to see a man standing in the center of the room. He had dark green eyes and a small beard. His hair was neatly combed and he wore simple but elegant clothes. It was Ra's Al Ghul. Count Vertigo was nowhere in sight. He wondered where the man was.

"Ra's Al Ghul." Jason stared at him. He was different from what he expected, but then again, he had no expectations when he first arrived in the Himalayan Mountains. He removed the blue flower from his coat pocket and presented it to Ra's Al Ghul. He took it from him silently.

"Jason, welcome, Count Vertigo cannot join us. I'm afraid I am no longer in need of his services."

"I see." Jason took the hint. For some unknown reason, Count Vertigo had done something to fall out of favor with the leader of the League of Shadows and was obviously dead. He made a mental note to be sure to stay in the League's good graces. The last thing he wanted to do was die again, because, in a way, he had already died twice. Once by the Joker and again by the strange supernatural phenomenon that had occurred six months ago without any logical explanation except that it was because of the Titan Raven.

"Why did I come here?" Jason asked.

"That is a question only you yourself can answer," Ra's replied.

"Stop speaking in riddles. I heard from Count Vertigo that you wanted to see me. Why?"

"I wanted to see you because I learned from my sources that you had resurfaced, or shall we say resurrected. I want to help you discover the truth. That is all." Ra's Al Ghul folded his arms.

Jason frowned. "That's _all_. Surely someone like you would try to recruit me to your cause. What's in this for me?"

"The _truth, _Jason," Ra's said firmly. "You want to know what happened to you. I want to help you."

"What makes you think I just won't go back to Gotham and ask the Batman?" Jason snapped. It wasn't like was _really_ going to go back to Gotham, but it was a way for him to discern the man's motive for helping him.

"You have been alive for almost a year now, and you have not yet returned to Bruce Wayne."

"You know who he is?" Jason was incredulous. How could this man know the identity of the Batman?

"I know it because my daughter does," Ra's said quietly. I have not used that to any advantage because I have no need to."

"You haven't answered my question," Jason snapped, but tried to regain his composure.

"I know, I don't think you will go back to Gotham because you don't have a need to. Not yet. And if you do go back, what makes you think you will be accepted. No Jason, let me be the one to guide you to the truth. He won't help you, you know him well enough; he will twist things to his advantage. You know this."

Jason furrowed his brow, trying to think. What Ra's said was true, but how did _he_ know what happened to him. He bluntly asked him the question.

"I have my sources," he stared at Jason. "Will you accept my help?"

"Yes, I will, in the meantime, you will stay here in the temple and not leave the grounds."

"Are you holding me prisoner?" Jason demanded, clenching his fists.

"No my friend, I wish to train you after you discover the truth of your demise. If you decide to stay of course."

"And if I don't?" Jason asked.

"You will regret it."

"I see, and how will I research my own death?"

"My computer network is untraceable throughout the world. You may hack any database on the entire planet, if you know how that is, and I promise you, no one will be able to trace it back to us."

"I understand; if I trusted you, I would thank you, but I don't trust you."

"You are very wise Jason, trust is a delicate thing, giving it isn't easy, but breaking it is. My daughter Talia will show you to your sleeping quarters." A young woman entered the room. She had long dark hair and a stern face, like her father's.

Jason gave her a nod as she escorted him out of the room. He hoped he would get his answers soon. He hated waiting and it was the last thing he wanted to do. He took a deep breath; he walked silently down the hall. The door slammed shut behind him. He heard it and felt as if he was walking in a tomb, but he said nothing. They arrived at his room and she showed him in.

"Sleep well, Jason. We will begin your search for the truth tomorrow."

"Thank you," he said politely. He didn't want to anger her. He had heard that the followers of the League of Shadows would willingly die for Ra's or his daughter, he decided that courtesy was a way for him to survive and not be killed by the League's fanatics.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Jason. The Batman does not know you live again, so what point would there be in killing you?"

"I don't know. What makes me think I should trust you?"

"Never trust anyone Jason, you never know when they'll stab you in the back."

"You are like your father."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She smiled for the first time.

"I'm sure you have other things to do, so I'll let you go."

"You're very polite for a thief, Jason."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jason laughed. "I need some rest."

"Indeed, good night, Jason." She shut the door and he lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes, and for the first time since his arrival, he felt like he was headed in the right direction.


	9. Chapter IX: Jason's Quest Part I

**Chapter Nine: Jason's Quest Part One **

Jason awoke the next day feeling refreshed and ready to face the challenge of discovering the truth about what had happened to him. He went into a room where members of the League of Shadows stood silently watching him.

Jason frowned, looking over as a man served him a simple breakfast. He looked at the man and then at the food. Shrugging his shoulders, he sat down. He ate it and wondered where Ra's and Talia Al Ghul were. He hadn't seen them that morning, a man had waked him and told him it was time for breakfast, the man also said that wasted time was time lost in the quest to rid the world of evil. Jason that that was just the League propaganda talking so he just ignored that part of the man's speech.

He stood up and walked around, trying to stretch his legs. He saw a door open at the far side of the room and Ra's Al Ghul walked in. "Good morning, Jason. Are you ready to begin?"

"Begin what?" Jason asked. He wasn't sure what the man was talking about so he decided to ask.

"You wish to learn the truth of your…demise, do you not?" Ra's asked.

"My death you mean, yes I want to know what happened after," Jason replied. "How do I start?"

"We have provided newspaper clippings and a various assortment of other items, but how you start your journey depends solely on you and you alone."

"I understand." Jason headed over to the table and began sorting through the newspapers. He frowned. The reports said the explosion was an accident; they covered up what the Joker had done there. They lied about his murders.

Why? Why did they lie about his death? Had he not died a hero? What was there to hide in that? Terra's act of sacrifice had been memorialized. They had given her a plaque he heard that the Titans would often come and bring her gifts of flowers and notes. He'd also heard they were trying to revive her. Why was he not given such honors?

He felt a spark of envy pierce him. Jason stared. He was a good person! A hero! Yet his death was covered up as if he were a villain who deserved to die. He decided to keep searching for answers. He would leave to discover the truth and return to Ra's if he wanted to take him up on his answers. He printed off the information he was looking for and placed it all in a knapsack.

He turned around to see Ra's Al Ghul staring at him intently. "Have you discovered the truth yet Jason?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "I feel I need to…go out into the world and keep looking."

"You will do no such thing," Ra's answered coldly.

"Why? I didn't say no to your offer." Jason stiffened. This man was a tricky manipulator. He could use things to his own advantage and say things with a double meaning. When he said he didn't want Jason to refuse his offer he was really saying that he didn't want Jason to _leave_.

"Why can't I leave? What's the point of keeping me here—"

_WHAM!_ Jason was suddenly knocked off his feet. He flew across the room and landed on his back. He scrambled to his feet and charged Ra's Al Ghul, just then five black clad ninjas jumped in front of him. Jason's training kicked in and he engaged them. He smashed his fist into a man's face and knocked him down. He then executed a quick kick, followed up by a swift jab. The man next to him fell heavily.

Only three more men, then Ra's, _it shouldn't be too hard to get out,_ Jason thought, he could handle these guys. Another man whipped out a sword and brandished it. Jason ducked low, avoiding a slashing blow that smashed down near his ear. He launched himself from the floor, flipping back onto his feet. He grabbed his attacker's wrist and forced it behind his back. The sword dropped to the ground and he grasped it quickly.

The blade sung through the air as he brought it down, slicing into a ninja's shoulder. The man cried out and unsheathed his own sword. Jason slashed quickly right to left. The ninja parried and retaliated with an offensive attack, he blocked it and without a moment's hesitation, struck him across the chest. The man fell back, gagging on saliva and blood and died.

Jason launched an offensive assault on the final two ninjas; smashing his blade against theirs he executed a roundhouse kick, knocking the two men to the side. They fell to the floor and sprang to their feet. They both leaped at him, Jason received a hard kick in the chest and a blow in the back of his spine. He cried out and hit one knee, dropping his weapon.

He suddenly knocked his opponent's legs out from under him. Leaping up, he punched him in the face, knocking the man off his feet. There was just one man left. Jason quickly performed somersault over the man and crouching down, swept his knee out in a low kick. The man jumped back and smashed his booted foot into Jason's face.

Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth but he ignored it. He flipped back again, sending both feet into the man's face, landing; he smashed his elbow into the ninja's jaw, knocking him senseless.

Ra's Al Ghul stepped forward. "You're wasting your energy, Jason. You've used it all fighting them. You won't be able to get past me and make it down the mountain alive," Ra's voice was cold.

Jason smirked. The man was bluffing. He didn't know what Jason could do. He hadn't even seen a tenth of his skills. He could beat the idealistic buffoon and leave him. The League of Shadows was filled with a bunch of crazed idealists who believed they could restore harmony to the world by killing all the "bad" and "evil" people. If these goons were easily dispatched, then he could deal with Ra's Al Ghul.

Ra's saw Jason's confident attitude immediately. The boy was brash and headstrong. No wonder the Joker killed him so easily. He was unable to see the lasting consequences of his actions. He had refused to play by Ra's rules. He was just making it harder for himself. A pity. He would have to teach Jason a lesson in respect for those older and wiser than him.

Ra's assumed an offensive stance and Jason rushed him. He easily stepped aside as the young man's punch hit nothing but air. He easily knocked his feet out from under him and Jason hit the ground.

Ra's moved forward, his foot sweeping down in a viscous kick. Jason rolled out of the way and tried to climb to his feet but Ra's pinned him down with his foot, pressing it into his chest, the leader glared down at him.

"You need to learn respect for your elders, young Jason. You are not so skilled that you can defeat an experienced warrior."

"We'll see about that! I'm not Talia's _pet_, Ra's. I can take care of myself!" Jason twisted the man's foot out from under him. As he fell, he slammed his fist into Ra's face. He rolled out from under him and scrambled to his feet. He grabbed a sword from one of the fallen ninjas and ran back over to him.

Jason raised the sword above his head and prepared to bring it down on Ra's Al Ghul's head. There was a loud crack as something hard hit the back of his skull and he fell to the ground hard. Talia stood behind him holding the butt end of a sniper rifle.

"Sorry Jason, you are a strong and capable fighter, but I can't let you kill my Father." She stepped over Jason and helped her father to his feet.

"Are you alright Father?" she asked.

"Yes, he is a worth opponent, although he is very stupid. Lock him up in his room. Do not let him leave this place. He will stay until I see fit to release him."

"As you wish," Talia said, she saw Ubu and another ninja walk in the room and drag Jason's unconscious form back to his room. She turned around and left the room. Ra's left the room as well. He wanted to make sure Jason wouldn't go back to the Batman. That was the last thing he wanted. Jason was a promising recruit, and he wasn't about to let him out of his clutches.

* * *

Jason awoke with a start, his head throbbed and he felt like he'd been hit in the head with a sledgehammer. He groaned and looked around. He was back in his room and the door was closed. It was locked no doubt. Now how was he supposed to leave and head back to Gotham?

He forced himself to his feet and moved painfully toward the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob. It was sealed tight. There was no way on earth he was going to be able to escape on his own.

Jason placed his head against the door and pounded on it. "Hey, let me out of here!" he shouted angrily. "You can't keep me in here like this!"

"I'm afraid my father wants to keep you here for a long while," a voice said from the other side. He strained to hear. It sounded like Talia.

"Why am I kept here? What have I done?" Jason demanded.

"Nothing. Yet. Which my father fears most, he sees you as a lost, indecisive soul who needs his guidance."

"Did he tell you this?"

"No. Just my observations, he wishes you to stay, as he sees you as a potential member of the League."

"If have "potential", then why has he locked me away like an animal?" Jason asked.

"He does not want you to go back to Bruce Wayne," Talia said simply.

"Who said I was going back to Bruce Wayne? I want to find out what happened to me but that doesn't mean I'm going back to Wayne Manor."

"So you say," she replied.

"Why are you here?"

"I am here to let you go. I think you would serve the League better if you leave us."

"But what about your father? He doesn't want me to leave."

"I think otherwise. You let me worry about him," she smiled. She handed him his dropped knapsack. Talia unlocked the door and opened it. She ushered him down the hall and showed him to a secret passage. She pointed toward the hidden exit. "It goes out to the bottom of the mountain. I trust you can find your way from there."

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

She suddenly took him in her arms and gently kissed his lips. "You still remain unavenged. I name you Ib'n Al Xu'ffacsch, the son of the bat." She smiled.

"What do you mean, "I remain unavenged?"You told me that before, when we first parted. What do you mean?"

"It means that you will have to discover the truth for yourself, Jason. I hope you find what you are looking for."

He didn't say anything. He turned and headed down the tunnel. Jason frowned. Why had she kissed him? It seemed very impulsive of her. He didn't think she was the type to do such things. He put the thought out of his mind. He had things he needed to do.

He headed down the mountain. He wisely remembered the kindly old man who had taken him in on his journey up the mountain. He stopped by and they generously let him spend the night there. Jason promised himself he would repay the old man for his kindness. Someday he would return, perhaps when his quest for the truth was completed and the Joker was dead he would come back to the old man with something he could use to make his life better. He owed him something and he didn't like owing anybody anything.

He smiled at the old man, "One day, I'm gonna come back here, and I'll bring you something, something that could help you. What is something you could make good use of, sir?" Jason restrained himself from calling him "old man" because he knew he would insult him.

"We have no heat here, it is very cold. I cannot afford it, money is tight and I can earn very little on my own."

"I see. I will…do what I can for you," Jason promised sincerely. He had come to love the old man whose name he did not know. He viewed him as a grandfather figure. He had never known his biological grandfather.

"Please sir, what is your name?"

"My name is…Quomian Shuo."

"Mr. Shuo, I will repay you, I promise." Jason rose to his feet and headed out the door. He continued his descent down the mountain. He headed to a nearby town and tried to decide what he would do next. He had a little money, but he didn't want to spend it all on traveling. He wanted to return to the States, but being tight on cash with places to go was tough on mind and budget.

The Brotherhood of Evil, Count Vertigo said they wanted to contact him. They wanted him to help them defeat the Teen Titans. He also mentioned they could get him Xenothium. Maybe joining them would work to his advantage. He wasn't really interested in defeating the Titans, he was more interested in getting Xenothium and getting back to Gotham City, this alliance might work out after all. But how was he supposed to get in touch with them? There wasn't exactly a Brotherhood of Evil phone number that he could dial for interest in membership. Count Vertigo said they would contact him, but they had done a very poor job of that. It had been over six months since he had seen Count Vertigo and still the Brotherhood of Evil had not once sent someone to see him. Jason shrugged his shoulders and decided to go to an airport and book a ticket for the next flight to Gotham City.

Jason slipped into a dark corner and slipped his Red X mask on and slipped out of his clothes and into his Red X uniform. He was walking down an alleyway when he spotted a tall woman standing in his path. She was wearing a red and black uniform and she was as thin as a toothpick. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, you're threatening me," Jason snapped. "I don't like you."

"That is nothing," the woman replied. "Are you the one who calls himself Red X?"

"Is that so obvious?" Jason asked sarcastically. This woman was either taunting him or she was completely dense.

"I see. The Brain wants me to give you this," she held up his Red X utility belt and a small tube of Xenothium, "in exchange that you help us defeat the Teen Titans."

"Of course," Jason replied. He would treat this like a business transaction. That was all it was. This wasn't a personal vendetta against the Titans; this was just getting the means to an end of exacting revenge on the Joker.

"Good, we'll keep in touch," the lady said. Jason realized this must be the Madame Rouge he'd heard about. She was a grouchy old grump at best. Being a supervillain for long periods of time made one lose touch with their sense of humor. No matter what he became he wasn't going to lose his sense of humor. Life was boring without a laugh.

He turned and walked away from her. He headed down to the airport. He was getting out of here; there wasn't anything for him in China. He was quietly heading down the street when an old man suddenly walked up to him and said, in English. "Hello American, do you want to hear about a fabulous treasure, something special? Perhaps you are an adventurer. Hmm?"

This man was pathetic. He was like a puppy begging for table scraps. Jason decided the humor the man and listen to his story, mainly to get him to go away and leave him alone. "Well man, what's this story of yours?"

"Oh, it's a local legend young sir," the man replied. "There is a Kris that once belonged to the legendary Armless Master."

"How does an armless master possess a kris?" Jason asked. This man was off his rocker, what was he raving about anyway?

"Well the Armless Master possessed it before he lost both his arms in a battle against his enemies. They say it had…" he paused for dramatic effect, "supernatural powers. They say it could give the user longevity and strength and could save him from death, the master refused to use it and so he hid it away deep in a cave."

"And why are you telling me this?"

"I was once one of the Armless Master's pupils," the old man said. "Now he is dead and I am old. I wish for someone to take up his weapon and use it to battle evildoers and fight for justice."

"What about this kris? I want to fight for justice and rid the world of evil. What can I do to obtain this?" Jason asked. He wasn't lying, in fact he was quite sincere about battling evil, but he would battle it on his own terms, not Batman's or anyone else's.

"Where did the Armless Master find it?"

"I do not know, but he brought it back with him from Indonesia. I went with him when he hid it, he told me once he was gone to give it to a young warrior who was worthy of it. It is located deep inside a cave; there it is the Guardian of the Cave, a large, ancient snake with lightening quick reflexes. If you can defeat the snake he will let you take the knife, but the only way you may keep the weapon, but only if the True Master deems you worthy of it."

_"The True Master?"_ he asked. He had heard whispers of the legendary martial artist. It was said the True Master was the greatest fighter in the world. He'd heard stories of his exploits when he had traveled the world with Bruce when he was searching for his mother.

"Do you know the True Master?" he asked.

"No, I have never met him, but I know that he is a great warrior," the old man replied. "Do you wish to train with him?"

"No, I only wish to meet a great man," Jason replied. "I thank you, sir, for your information. Why did you come to me with this story of yours?"

"Because you seem like an honest person. There is something about you that is very special. It seems you are a wanderer, a warrior of some sort. What is your name, young warrior?"

"You could say I'm a warrior, my name is Red X."

"Red X. You must go to the cave and retrieve the kris if you are to complete your quest for justice. Good luck warrior, you will need it."

"Thank you." Jason turned and left him. He frowned. How was he supposed to find this mountain? The old man had not provided him with a map. Maybe if he asked about the True Master he could get information about where the cave was. He'd heard about the Guardian of the Cave because you had to get through it in order to be trained by the True Master.

He headed into the village and wandered through the streets. He was in not hurry, why should he rush? There was no need to run, he enjoyed sightseeing, he liked faraway, exotic places and he wanted to take in the fresh air.

He passed by an old statue of an ancient warrior brandishing a sword above his head. He wondered if that might be the True Master he had heard about. He noticed an elderly woman with gray hair picking turnips in a nearby field.

"Excuse me, I wish to train with the True Master. Do you know where I might find him?" he asked the woman politely.

"I am not surprised you seek the True Master, a boy much like yourself came this way and asked me the very same question. Boys always come searching for the True Master."

Jason waited patiently. "Do you know him?"

"He will not train you," the woman said simply.

"Pardon me, but what is your name that I may address you correctly?" Jason asked.

"You may call me Chui-Hui," the woman answered him politely. "Do you have a name that I may address you, young warrior?"

"Some call me Red X, Ms. Chui-Hui but you may call me Ib'n Al Xu'ffacsch."

"Very well, young Ib'n. Your journey to seek the True Master begins soon, you must make it up the mountain before it gets dark."

"I understand," Jason said, heading toward the base of the mountain.

"Wait!" Chui-Hui called. "You must leave everything from your world behind."

"Why?"

"The True Master will not train you if you bring such things with you."

"But what about my weapons?"

"You will not need them. I shall keep them for you, I will return them to you when you have seen the True Master." She tossed Jason a white uniform signifying the beginning of his training. He kept a red mask over his eyes but removed the large Red X mask and set it on the ground.

"The mask stays," he said simply.

"Very well," she shrugged. He wasn't the first to say so; Robin had said those very words. She let him be.

"Thank you, Chui-Hui. I am most grateful." Jason placed his utility belt on the ground and entered a small cubicle to change into the white uniform she tossed him.

"You are welcome Ib'n. You must hurry, it is midmorning and you have not even begun your journey."

"I shall start off right away, Chui-Hui." He headed toward the mountain. Chui-Hui watched him go. He seemed determined, yet lighthearted in his quest to seek the True Master. He reminded her of the young warrior who had come to seek her not too long ago. That one was young and confident, much like Ib'n, but he was much more serious. She smiled; they might have been brothers for all she knew. They had the same height, the same build and that same sense of honorable politeness, although the other boy, calling himself Robin had been in a hurry and had forgotten his manners for a short time.

Jason walked at a steady pace to the edge of a river, there were two platforms on either side but the water ran between them. _There must be a bridge of some sort around here._ He looked around, but saw nothing.

"I guess I'll swim it," he said. He took a few steps back and prepared to dive in.

"Are you confident you can make it across?" a voice asked him.

Jason looked up to see a great bear standing beside him. "Who are you?" Jason asked.

"I am the Guardian of the River. To get to the top of the mountain, you must first get past me."

"I understand," Jason said.

Jason stepped back and gave the bear a respectful bow. Formalities over with, the bear came at Jason with astonishing speed. He moved out of the way just in time to see a gigantic paw smash into the wooden boards of the bridge, causing them to shake violently on impact.

Jason rolled out of the way and attacked the bear. The bear stepped aside easily and knocked Jason halfway across the platform with a swipe of his paw. Jason flew back and hit the ground with a hard thud. He scrambled to his feet and moved to engage the bear. The bear swung at him again. This time Jason jumped back and launched himself into a back flip behind the bear. He then swept his foot out and tried unsuccessfully to kick the bear. It was like kicking a swift tree trunk.

The bear suddenly grabbed him by his foot and swung him around, Jason landed with a thud and felt the heavy weight pressing down on his body. He looked up to see the bear sitting on him. Boy, is he heavy, Jason thought.

He kept squirming. "Come now, you don't want to do this," the bear said. "You might as well give up and turn back."

"I'll never turn back!" Jason proclaimed as he wriggled out from under the bear's weight. He scrambled to his feet and the bear stood up.

"You are very persistent, Little Warrior," the bear said.

The bear charged Jason quickly. Jason anticipated this and moved quickly to the side, Jason suddenly got the idea to throw the bear into the lake, grasping the bear's hind leg with both hands and began steadily dragging the Guardian of the River to the end of the dock. With all the strength and willpower he had Jason launched the bear into the lack. The Guardian landed with a terrific splash.

"You may proceed!" the bear shouted. "But be warned, once you cross the river, there is no turning back!"

Jason watched the bridge rise up out of the water and he crossed it quickly. He then traveled for a short distance until he came to a rocky path. He saw the jagged stones on the pathway. He made sure to avoid the sharp ones and safely made it around them. He began walking.

Jason looked up and saw the woman Chui-Hui carrying a long pole with two buckets of water. She looked rather tired and he wondered why she was up here.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Chui-Hui," he greeted her. "Do you need some help?"

"Yes, yes, thank you, young Ib'n." She handed the pole to Jason and he placed in on his shoulders. He began to carry the pole for her.

"So what are you doing up here?"

"Oh, just carrying a heavy burden up the mountain," she replied.

"How long should I carry this for you?"

"Just long enough so an old woman can rest her back." They walked a short way, and then she pointed to a cave. "There is your path, Ib'n," she pointed to the entrance. Jason nodded and walked forward.

He entered the cave and frowned. "Now where do I go? There's no exit."

"None that you can see," a hissing voice said to him from the darkness. Jason assumed an offensive stance and looked around. "I am the Guardian of the Cave, to continue your journey to the top you must first get past me."

Jason saw the snake Guardian curled up around a candle. Jason quietly made his way around the snake to look for the kris. There it was, embedded in the rock with the candle.

"That's what I came for," Jason smiled. He moved toward the weapon, but the Guardian of the Cave whirled around to face him.

"You cannot take this," the Guardian said. "Not unless you prove yourself worthy of the Armless Master's blade. No one has come for this in a long, long time. If you wish to take this, you must first defeat me." The snake removed the hood concealing his face.

"You're blind, I could take advantage of you," Jason observed.

He snake moved forward and snuffed out the candle. "Now we are even, neither of us can see."

The snake moved forward, Jason strained his ears to listen for him. He moved toward a shadow and struck a rock. He missed. He moved again, kicking out and struck another rock. Grunting, he looked around.

"I have the advantage, young one, you can't even see me. You see with your eyes, but in order to defeat me, you must go beyond what you see."

Jason began moving, he thought he saw a shape and moved toward it. He missed and grabbed only thin air.

"You cannot trust your ears or eyes," the snake said. Jason heard a hiss right by his ears and grabbed blindly. He felt something hit him hard and he flew into a wall.

"I could be anywhere," the voice said.

Jason began to think, he needed to focus. Concentrate, he needed to concentrate. He shut his eyes and concentrated. He could see him in his mind and reached forward. This time, he caught him and held him firmly. The candle flickered on and the snake Guardian came into view.

"Take your weapon, you have proved yourself, you may proceed."

Jason removed the kris from the rock and cleaned it off on his tunic. It was bright and very deadly. He wondered for a moment if the old man was right about the blade's supernatural powers. He quickly left the cave as the exit opened before him.

He walked until he came to a large cliff. Seeing no other way, he began climbing up the mountain. He felt exhausted. He then spotted Chui-Hui sitting on a small ledge. He decided to stop; he was tired and needed to rest.

"Hello," he smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"I climbed," she answered.

"How far until I reach the top?"

"Such a journey cannot be measured in steps, young Ib'n."

"Nice basket," he commented.

"Thank you," Chui-Hui said. "You should stop chatting and go to the top of the mountain."

"I will, and thank you." Jason finished climbing up the cliff and headed toward a large canyon with high bamboo poles between him and the other side. He began moving forward when he suddenly heard a high-pitched laugh.

"I am the Guardian of the Trees," it said.

"And if I am to get to the top, I must first defeat you."

"How did you know I was going to say that?" the monkey asked.

"Lucky guess," replied Jason.

"Must we fight so soon? Would you like some tea?" the monkey asked.

"Tea sounds great, actually," Jason replied. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day and he was starving.

"Oh, very well, I shall fetch it." The Guardian of the Trees slipped away and soon returned with a streaming brew of green tea and some small teacups. He filled them up and handed Jason one as he sat down.

"Thank you," he smiled.

They drank a few cups but didn't say much. Finally, Jason spoke, "Has anyone come up here recently?"

"Not for a long time, but there was a young man who came this way. He was much like you but he was in such a rush, he did not even stop for tea. He was very serious."

"I see," Jason smiled. It had to be Robin, he was the only one he knew who would give up food or drink if it was important enough to him. "Did he make it up the mountain?"

"Yes he did, and he was trained by the True Master," the monkey replied.

So the True Master had trained Robin. That was interesting. Jason felt refreshed and rested. He stood up. "Are we ready to begin?" Jason walked out onto some of the bamboo stalks.

"Of course, you must be a skilled warrior in order to have defeated the bear and the snake," the monkey said. "Let's go."

The monkey charged forward. So did Jason, the monkey leapt back and forth between the bamboo stalks making it nearly impossible for Jason to strike him. The monkey launched himself from a bamboo stalk and landed on Jason's head.

_Great, I've got a monkey on my head and he smells really bad. No wonder people haven't made it up the mountain they probably couldn't abide the monkey's stench._ He ignored the smell and tried to fling the monkey off him. The monkey shot off and Jason stumbled back and fell. He grasped the bamboo, using his arms and legs to stop his fall.

"Monkey see, monkey do!" the monkey laughed. "Monkey just made a fool of you!"

He tried to grapple the monkey in midair but couldn't' get a good grip on him. The monkey charged across and came back again.

Jason suddenly moved up, flipping up, he saw the monkey jump back. He whirled around, kicking right and left, but he hit nothing but air. He somersaulted over the monkey and watched as the Guardian charged forward. Jason ducked down and grabbed a bamboo pole. He pulled it back like a slingshot.

"Monkey see, monkey do!" he shouted and let it go. It hit the monkey the face and sent him flying.

The monkey landed on the grass and laughed. "Very well." Snapping his fingers the monkey showed Jason the path to the other side as the bamboo stalks rose up from below. Jason walked across them until he came to the foot of the mountain. He began climbing the large stairway. He hoped he would make it to the top before the sun set.

"Hello, Ib'n," a voice said behind him. Jason jumped and turned around. Chui-Hui stood with a small walking stick in hand and plodded carefully up the steps. "Have you had much trouble finding your way?"

"No, Chui-Hui," he answered. "I only wish to meet the True Master."

"You only wish to meet the True Master?" Chui-Hui asked. "You do not wish to train with the True Master?"

"No, I am not worthy to train with someone so great," Jason admitted. "I only wish to meet the True Master and pay him my respects. That is all."

"What makes you think you are not worthy?" she asked.

"Chui-Hui, I am not a good person. The True Master only trains those who deserve it. I don't deserve such an honor."

"Who says you are not worthy to be trained by the True Master?" Chui-Hui asked. "The True Master trains those whom she deems worthy. The True Master sees you as someone who is worthy. You have come up here on your own skills. You have passed the Three Guardians. You are worthy of my training."

"Wait, are you the True Master?" Jason asked.

"Yes, I am," she replied. "Ib'n what makes you unworthy of my teaching?"

"As I said before, True Master, I am not a good person."

"Who says you are not a good person?" she asked.

"Everyone. Society, the world," Jason sighed. "The world perceives me as evil."

"Do you see yourself this way?" the True Master asked.

"No, I just don't see myself that way. I have my own way of doing things…and not everyone agrees with me." He bowed before the True Master. "I am unworthy of training True Master. I am merely satisfied to meet you face to face. I will head back down the mountain and find my own way in the world."

"No, Ib'n, you will not leave my mountain. I will train you for I see you as a worthy student."  
"But why?"

"The world may see you as evil but you are more than what they see. You are stronger that your nature, since you say that you are not a good person. You may not be completely good but you are not completely evil either, Ib'n."

"I am honored that you will teach me, True Master," Jason bowed. The two began to walk up the stairs. They reached the top and entered the dojo. Jason sat down, thoroughly exhausted. Chui-Hui brought him some rice and vegetables. He ate ravenously. Jason was starving. After he was finished, she showed him to a small bedroom.

"I have retrieved this from the cave, True Master," Jason presented the kris to her. "I hope that I am worthy enough to keep it."

"Not many people know about the Armless Master's blade. To what purpose will you use the weapon?" she asked.

"I will use it to fight evil and serve justice," Jason said. _My justice._

"You are a worthy warrior, but beware Ib'n. You may keep the blade but you are a man who walks a fine line between good and evil. Do not let yourself fall into your own ways, or you may be destroyed by your own nature."

"Sleep well, Ib'n. We will begin your training tomorrow."

"Thank you, True Master, I am forever grateful." Jason drifted off to sleep, a dreamless, peaceful, sleep, there was no Joker laughing at him. No tormenting inner demons. There was just the sweet oblivion of rest, and he would wake up refreshed in the morning.


	10. Chapter X: Jason's Quest Part II

**Chapter Ten: Jason's Quest Part Two**

"Good morning Ib'n," Chui-Hui greeted. Jason opened his eye and blinked away sleep. He sat up on the cot and stared at her.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Sunrise, come. We have work to do."

"Work?" Jason asked. "What kind of work?"

"First, you will sweep the floor. Then we'll have breakfast." Chui-Hui said. Jason obeyed, she handed him a broom and he began to sweep the room, checking the corners for dust and dirt. He wondered what the point to all this was; no doubt there was some kind of lesson in all this. He finished sweeping the floor and swept the hallway and the small wood floor in the living room. After he was finished, he sat down in the kitchen and waited for breakfast. Chui-Hui came in from the backyard carrying some eggs.

Without a word, Chui-Hui began cooking the eggs. When she was finished she placed them in small bowls and placed one in front of Jason. "Egg-Drop soup and rice. Please eat. We have many things to do today."

Jason finished eating and stood up. "When do we begin?" he asked.

"Soon," she answered. Jason quietly awaited instruction. Patience was never one of his virtues. He always wanted to get things done quickly and efficiently. He had quickly progressed through Bruce's training with incredible speed, he had served Gotham City as Robin for a short time and in his mind he had done a decent job of it. Hadn't he stopped the Penguin, the Scarecrow and the Riddler? He had wanted to make Bruce proud, but all he did was receive lecture after lecture about how his careless actions and rash behavior. Jason felt relieved that he was away from Batman's shadow, he could be his own man, do whatever he wanted without having someone looking over his shoulder.

Chui-Hui put the dishes away and walked back into the room. She was carrying two long metal staves in her hands and tossed him one. Jason caught it and looked at her. "We will begin," she said simply, giving a short bow, she moved forward to engage him. Jason blocked the blow as he moved to take the offensive. The True Master seemed to anticipate this and easily parried all his strikes without any effort at all. Jason pressed his efforts further; attacking with many moves he had learned when he trained with Bruce. He was not a graceful fighter; his moves were short, choppy and efficient. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not break through the True Master's defenses. Finally, she locked her staff with his, he tried to pull away but she kept him there. In a swift movement she flipped her staff up, sending his weapon spinning in the air, she caught it with ease.

"One of the first things you must learn Ib'n, though you have skills you do not know everything. You have learned from a great master and you have an arrogance about you that is…prideful. Such feelings should be driven from you. You are a mere student, not a teacher. Even teachers should abstain from such feelings."

"But True Master, I am an able fighter, I have fought—"

"I am not saying that you are not unable to fight, I am saying that you have no respect for the older wiser ones who could show you many things." Chui-Hui stared at him intently.

"You need to learn respect for your elders, young Jason. You are not so skilled that you can defeat an experienced warrior." Ra's Al Ghul had said the same thing in the temple in the Himalayan Mountains, although he had been far more condescending than the True Master was. Chui-Hui was trying to teach him how to control his temper and his anger. He had never been good at it. He was trying to improve but it wasn't his nature.

"Forgive me, Chui-Hui, I did not mean to disrespect you," Jason apologized.

"I forgive you Ib'n, you are an eager student, as many others whom I have taught. You only need to be patient, and you will learn."

"I've never been a patient person," Jason admitted.

"You will learn patience, don't worry about that. We will begin again," she handed him back his staff. Jason once again prepared to fight. The True Master advanced, striking out with a wide, sweeping blow. Jason blocked it and struck back, but did not try to take the offensive as he had done before. Back and forth they traded blows, Chui-Hui launched the attack, raining down blow after blow, Jason had settled into his defensive posture and parried every one of her assaults. As the True Master brought her staff swinging around, Jason blocked the blow and launched a sudden attack, the True Master backed up a little as he pressed forward. Soon he lodged his staff with hers, he knocked it out of her hand and caught it in midair.

"Well done," she said. She looked at him. "You are improving, but it will take more than one sparring match for you to become a formidable warrior. Ib'n, before I teach you anything further you must go and fetch me some water using these," she handed him the long pole and the buckets she had carried with her up the mountain. Jason hoisted them onto his shoulders and went out to the well. Filling up the buckets, he brought them back to her.

"Good," she smiled. "Now go bring me more." She had him do this five times before she told him he could stop. Jason's shoulders ached and his arms and legs were sore. This was harder than any sparring he had done with her and he felt exhausted. He sat down on the floor, breathing hard. Chui-Hui came in to the room carrying two pairs of escrima sticks.

"You've _got_ to be kidding," Jason groaned. The True Master's face was serious. She tossed him a pair of escrima sticks.

"Get up, but tell me Ib'n, how do you feel?"

"I feel like I just fought twenty people," he grunted, he rose from the floor feeling tired and stiff.

"If you wish to battle evil, keep in mind that evil never rests. Your enemies will not be kind and give you a time to rest just because you are tired." She paused and then continued. "You must learn to push through your exhaustion and keep fighting. Now begin."

Jason began to circle the True Master, trying to discover her strategy. It was something that Bruce had taught him. If he knew his opponent's tactics he could use it against them. He blocked the first blows and kept a defensive posture. The True Master struck with careful, precise blows as she moved slowly across the room. Jason suddenly took the offensive, swinging quickly from right to left, he brought his escrima sticks slamming into hers; she blocked them with ease and smiled.

"Your strategy is very good, but you must always be alert for the unexpected." She executed a sudden kick that sent Jason backwards. Jason retaliated two quick strikes, followed by a flying kick that hit Chui-Hui's shoulders, she stepped back and whipped the escrima sticks around and slammed them into Jason's midsection, the young man staggered back and regained his footing. He parried the next blows and attacked, taking the offensive and driving Chui-Hui further toward the end of the room. Jason swept the escrima sticks right to left diagonally. He knocked one of the sticks from the True Master's hand; he quickly flipped the other away from her and held them to her throat. She smiled.

"Good. Very good, we are done for today." She turned and walked over to the place where the escrima sticks lay. She picked them up and put them away. Jason walked over to a corner and picked up the kris he had found in the Snake Guardian's cave. He turned to the True Master.

"Chui-Hui, won't you teach me how to fight with a kris?" Jason asked as he fingered the long blade in his hands. He examined the long, deadly curves of the weapon thoughtfully. He wanted to know how to use it. He wanted it to become his personal weapon. When he waged his war on the criminal underworld he wanted them to know that he meant business. He wanted them to fear him. Chui-Hui stared at him and shook her head.

"No, Ib'n I will not teach you how to use the Armless Master's weapon. He was my friend and lost his arms because of that blade."

Jason raised an eyebrow. The old man hadn't mentioned that in his story. "Do you know what happened to him?"

"I do not know how he died but I know why he lost his arms. When the Armless Master returned from Indonesia with that weapon, he used it to become a great martial artist and a cunning warrior. He knew he could kill but not be killed because if it's power, it and it frightened him. He killed three men who tried to take it from him by force, he regretted it so much that he brought it to me to keep hidden, but I refused to take it. I told him to leave it with the Snake Guardian in his cave and there it would stay until one came to claim it. Soon after, a man demanded to know the location of the blade, my friend refused to tell him, the man challenged him to a fight. The man defeated the Armless Master and demanded to know where it was, but still my friend refused, so the man took a sword and cut off his arms in an attempt to gain the knowledge of the kris' location, still my friend would not tell him, so he left him, and searched for it on his own, only to double cross mercenary and die. My friend said that someone would come to claim it one day. Someone who would be worthy of it and use it or the good of others and not destruction, he told me I would know who it was when I saw him and he told me to give it to him when he came."

"Are you saying I am the one who is worthy of it?" Jason inquired. She did not answer him for a moment. Then she spoke.

"I did not say you were worthy of it, nor did I say you were not worthy of it. I merely said that you can keep it, the kris was never mine in the first place; it was the Armless Master's. I do not know what he would think of you but you may keep it if you wish. That weapon is dangerous; many use such things for evil and to gain power and money. Many young men come seeking me to train them that they may impress their women or use the knowledge they gain for their own profit. I do not train such individuals, they disgust me with their greed, and the foolish belief that they can force others to do what they wish with the skills they wish to learn from me. I will not instruct you in using a kris. That is all I shall say on the matter of the blade."

"I understand," Jason sighed. If she won't teach me how to use it then who will? He stared at the wall. He would have to find another teacher. But to whom could he go? Perhaps he could return to the League of Shadows and Ra's Al Ghul; that however, seemed very unlikely. He hadn't parted with Ra's on good terms, but he had won the favor of Talia, which might come in handy in convincing the man to train him. He remembered there was another person who could train him, the martial artist Shiva, he had met her on the search for his mother, she had fought with the Batman, trying to determine if she was his mother, it turned out she wasn't thanks to a truth serum Batman gave her during their fight. She was a deadly martial artist, often dispatching her enemies with her lethal Leopard Blow.

She trained a few, but she would take on only those she deemed worthy to train. It seemed ironic, every situation he had encountered since he left the States had to do with being worthy enough to obtain something, how come people focused so much on being worthy? What was it about these cultures that made them the way they were? It was the same everywhere he went, you got what you wanted if you were worthy of it, it seemed to be an unwritten code in the east. When it came to marital arts, there was no privilege or advantage, you had to do everything yourself to get to the top. Jason knew he'd have to do that when he returned to Gotham, he would have to work his way from the ground up, and it was going to take a lot of patience and waiting. He hated waiting.

Jason continued to stare at the wall, contemplating his next move, he decided to stay and train with the True Master for the time being, when he was finished he would try to return to the League of Shadows, and if that didn't work out he would return to Gotham and begin executing his revenge, with or without outside help. He would have to infiltrate the criminal underworld and destroy it from within, but he knew he would need a name, Red X was not a threat, he had reestablished that persona as a simple thief who was only interested in himself and non-threatening to Jump City. He would need something else, something more sinister; something that could remind the Batman of the past but still kept his true identity a secret. Jason thought and thought but he couldn't think of a name that he could adopt as his new persona, he finally gave up and turned his thoughts to other things.

Jason's thoughts were a jumble until he realized something: what would he do when he encountered the Joker? How would he act? What would he say, should he tell him who he was or should he keep it a secret. He decided against disclosure since he was going to savor that moment when he showed himself to Bruce. What would be a fitting punishment for a man who nearly beat him to death and tied his mother up with a bomb in the warehouse? Jason closed his eyes and he could practically feel the searing pain caused from the blows the Joker had inflicted upon him with a crowbar. Jason's eyes snapped open. The crowbar, he had died because of it, now he would return the favor to the Joker, if the maniac died because Jason beat him to death, then so be it. It was time for a man who enjoyed inflicting pain on others experience pain first hand.

"Deep in thought, Ib'n?" Jason jumped as Chui-Hui's voice cut through the air. He looked up at her.

"Yes, True Master," he replied.

"What do you think about?" Chui-Hui asked, standing in the doorway of the dojo.

"I think about what I will do when I leave this place."

"I see. What you do when you leave?"

"I will train under others…and then I will return home and wage war on criminals. Revenge is the only thing I live for." Jason realized he had said too much and the True Master might end his training now if she thought he was a dangerous person who would misuse her training.

"I have observed that. Although you have not said a word about your intentions until now, you have not revealed them through your actions. I can sense a great anger in you. Your anger gives you great power, but if you let it, it will destroy you."

"I won't let it destroy me," Jason said determinedly. "It is what drives me, it is what makes me what I am."

"Normally, I would refuse to train you further, such anger frightens me, I fear that the knowledge I pass to you will be used for great and terrible things. Any other man I would cast from the dojo, but you, you are different somehow, what you do with my teaching, is up to you. You are special, Ib'n, and that is my motivation for training you. I have trained many men, but there are only a few who are special, unique, you are one of them."

"Who was the other?" Jason asked.

"He was a serious, determined young man, he was much like you, strong-willed and an able fighter. His name was Robin and he was from America."

"I see. What made him so special?"

"I know very little about him, but I know that there is something in his past that haunts him, something that made him what he was, he was not like other young men who wish to use their skills to impress their women, he wanted to use it to help others, he said he wished to honor those he had lost."

"I know how he feels, I lost my parents; they were both murdered."

"You are like Robin. Tell me, do you know him?"

"No," Jason lied. "I've never met him. I know of him though."

"How did you know Robin lost his parents?" Jason asked.

"He told me," she replied. "That will be enough instruction for today," Chui-Hui said. She gathered up the weapons and put them away. Jason asked her permission to go down to the village at the foot of the mountain. She granted it and he took a long arduous journey down the mountain. He arrived in the village and began exploring. He had seen much of it before but he wanted to take in everything. He noticed that it was somewhat secluded. He wondered if he would be able to discover anything about his death here. Jason thought it was highly unlikely.

He stopped by the corner of a building to rest his aching feet and leaned up against a wall. He saw a figure moving in the shadows and turned to face it. "Who's there?" he demanded. "Who are you?"

There was no answer, he moved closer and peered into the darkness. There was a whimper. It sounded like a dog. Jason knelt down and whistled softly.

"Here boy, here boy, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." Out of the darkness stepped as longhaired, dirty, but extremely adorable Shi Tzu. Jason wondered if it was a stray. He didn't see a collar. What kind of idiot threw a Shi Tzu out of their house? They were pure bred, and expensive to boot. They weren't something you threw out if you didn't want it. You usually tried to sell it and make money or bred it and sell the puppies. That was what they did in America anyway.

The dog inched closer to Jason; it sniffed his hand and licked him. Jason gathered up his courage and gently picked up the dog. Only then did he notice that the dog was female.

"Good girl, yeah, I'm nice. See?" he stroked the dog's head and scratched its ears. The dog panted happily and licked his face.

"I should take you to a vet and make sure you're okay," Jason began carrying the dog on his shoulders. "Where'd you come from, hmm? I should give you a name. How 'bout Sheila, you like that?"

The dog perked its ears and nuzzled against his neck. Jason decided she did like the name. "Good girl, Sheila. Let's hope Chui-Hui likes dogs because I'm not sure what I'm going to do with you."

_Three Hours Later…_

Chui-Hui had just finished preparing supper when she saw Ib'n Al Xu'ffacsch come in. He seemed tired, she noted. He always seemed tired. It was a strange characteristic she had observed since he arrived. It was not the training that wearied him; it was something personal, a past memory perhaps? He was always searching for something. He had said that only lived for revenge, who had wronged him? What made one so young so full of anger? She gave him a smile.

"How was your time in the village?" she asked politely.

"Well…uh…. it was fine, True Master, I have a favor to ask of you."

"It must be something important, you always call me by my name, Ib'n. What is it?"

"You don't have any grudges against dogs do you?"

"No," she answered guardedly. "Why?"

Jason held up the dog in his arms. It stared at the True Master with a wide-eyed, curious look. Chui-Hui chuckled. The dog was adorable. No wonder her student had brought it home with him. "Where did you find it?"

"I found her in the street, she was hiding in a dark corner near a house."

"What is the favor you wish to ask of me?"

"When I have completed the training, I want to go train with other masters before I return home. Could you watch over Sheila for me?"

"Sheila, that is your dog's name?"

"Yes, because that was my mother's name."

"Yes, Ib'n, I will watch over Sheila for you."

Thank you," he smiled. He hadn't felt this happy in a long, long time. He had searched for answers, but instead he had finally found a friend, one who not judge him for his actions. He could talk to Sheila, tell her his feelings, the dog would never reveal his secrets, and he needed a companion. It was hard to be alone in the world.

Jason sat down on the floor, he began going through his knapsack, rummaging through the old newspaper clippings. He hadn't had time to read all of them before he left the League of Shadows. He began going through them, most of the clippings were about his funeral. The details were sketchy, not a whole lot was said about the cause of death. Jason was about to give up when he saw the words of an article that he hadn't noticed earlier.

JOKER USES DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY TO ESCAPE MURDER ENDICTMENT. _What?_ He hadn't seen this before. He began to read it; he pored over the article, absorbing every detail. He felt betrayed, after his murder, the Joker had persuaded a politician for the country of Iran to appoint him as an ambassador for their country. With his newfound immunity, the Joker would use it to protect himself from prosecution for Jason's murder.

Jason's entire being began to shake, he could feel the rage growing, swelling inside him. The Joker butchered him and his mother in cold blood and he got off because of diplomatic immunity, was his life somehow cursed with the phrase _diplomatic immunity_? Felipe Garzonasa, a son of a diplomat, had brutally raped a woman and coerced her to commit suicide. He was let off without being charged because he had diplomatic immunity. When he had heard that, Jason had tracked the man to his apartment, frightened, Garzonasa had backed out onto the balcony of his house, Jason then grabbed him and pushed him off the balcony and watched him plunge to his death.

Although there were no witnesses to the actual murder, people had seen him go into Garzonasa's apartment. They had reported this to Batman and he took Jason off duty as Robin. He never confessed to the murder, Bruce had never been able to pry that piece of information from him. It wasn't like he was going to admit it anyway.

Jason's entire body continued to vibrate with rage; he couldn't believe that Batman had allowed the man who murdered him to live. He should have rid the world of the Joker long before this had ever happened. If Batman had killed the Joker, then he wouldn't have died and life would have been totally different for both of them. He wondered why Batman had never avenged him; he decided he would return to Gotham as soon as he could. He would not rest until the Joker was dead, he renewed his vow for retribution and vindication then and there, no more wasting time, no more wandering the world in search of training. With or without Ra's Al Ghul's help he would wage war on the Joker and the criminal scum that rampaged through Gotham City.

Jason moved across the room and sat down. He rested his weary knees and clenched his teeth, he was going to kill the Joker, no matter what he had to do; he would avenge himself. He was ready for tomorrow and whatever the future would hold. He went to his sleeping quarters sand lay down on the bed. Little Sheila wandered into the room. She looked up at him and stared with her big eyes.

"Come on, Sheila, come on." He beckoned the dog with his hands. She jumped up onto the bed and lay down next to him. "You must have lived with someone before me, huh?" She acted like she was trained and didn't wet everywhere. Jason closed his eyes and slept. He felt he had earned it.

_Three Weeks Later…_

Jason ducked to avoid a blow from Chui-Hui's staff as he moved to counterstrike. The True Master blocked the blow and struck back. Jason easily parried her attack and with a series of lightening fast blows he disarmed her. The True Master's staff flew end over end until he caught it out of midair.

She smiled approvingly. "You're training is finished, there is no more I can teach you."

"True Master, you can't be serious, there must be more."

"No, there is little more you can learn from me, you are willful, headstrong, you can learn whatever you need on your own."

"I'll be leaving now," Jason said simply.

"Good luck, Ib'n, may you find what you are looking for."

Thank you. See you in another life, True Master," Jason said in a whisper that she didn't hear. Little Sheila came bounding up to him, tail wagging expectantly, she thought she was coming with him.

"No girl, you can't come with me now, it's not safe for you." He stroked her head as her large brown eyes became sad. "Don't you worry, Sheila, I'll come back and get you as soon as possible." Then he gathered up his things and walked out of the dojo. His quest for vengeance was far from over, in fact, it had just begun.

* * *

Jason traveled down the mountain, hopeful and optimistic, the situation looked pretty good, he had finished his training with the True Master and was ready to confront Ra's Al Ghul with his request to train him so he could outwit and outsmart Bruce when he returned to Gotham City. He traveled back to the mountains, to find the temple where Ra's Al Ghul was training ninjas to join his League of Shadows. This time, he would face Ra's Al Ghul and defeat him if necessary; he was prepared this time.

There was a distinct change in Jason's attitude, no longer was he well mannered and polite, his bitterness was starting to seep into his personality. He became sharp-tongued and rude to anyone who met him, that is, if anyone dared talk to a boy with a snarling scowl on his face. The anger he had hidden away was the force that drove his actions now.

He made his way up the mountain, no longer did the frigid cold bother him nor the stinging winds affect him. He had been taught to ignore the elements in order to achieve what he wanted. He reached the summit of the mountain and banged on the large temple doors once again. They opened and Jason strode in, searching the shadows, awaiting his unseen foes. Jason was surprised they let him in; no doubt they knew he had returned. Why didn't they just kill him, no doubt they had security cameras hidden all over the mountain, Ra's wasn't stupid, a man who had lived for over 600 years had learned many things, they could have shot him dead before he could move, but here he was living and breathing.

"Why have you returned here infidel?" a voice asked angrily.

"You must be Ubu, I remember you; you're Ra's Al Ghul's little lap dog aren't you?" Jason smirked, he assumed an offensive position, he couldn't see Ubu, but he knew he was there, waiting to smash his skull to pieces. He wasn't one to die so easily, as he himself knew very well.

"You insolent fool! I shall enjoy making you suffer!" Ubu howled and moved to engage him. Jason smirked; this enormous man actually thought he could take him.

_Well bring it on, big guy_, Jason thought, _I look forward to a challenge. _He knew he didn't want to kill Ubu; he would enrage Ra's Al Ghul, which would not help him in the least. He needed Ra's' vast wealth and technical connections to help him gain access to military and civilian weaponry. Such things would be invaluable to his cause.

Ubu brought hi fist smashing into Jason's midsection, he accepted the blow and easily smashed his fist into Ubu's jaw. He then grabbed the man by his wrist and sent him flying across the room. Ubu landed with a thud and sprang to his feet again. He growled at the young man but Jason burst out laughing. Ubu was actually trying to be intimidating. In his opinion, it wasn't working. He sneered at Ubu's efforts, he thought this man could actually put up a fight, Jason felt disappointed, after all his training and hard work with the True Master, he was wasting his talents on this pathetic, cumbersome man. It made him feel sick.

He brought his foot slamming up into Ubu's stomach and followed it with a vicious punch. The only weapon he had was the kris and he drew it out, slashing at Ubu with quick, precise blows. The enormous man managed to avoid him and grasp the hand that held the knife. Jason smiled beneath his Red X mask, he was expecting that move, Jason brought his fist smashing into Ubu's face, breaking his nose and sending him flying.

Ubu smashed up against a wall and tried to get up, but he found much to his surprise and shock that there was a blade embedded in his shoulder. "You…you…I shall rip you to pieces for this—!"

"Save the rant for someone who cares, Ubu, I want to speak to your boss."

"And why would that be Ib'n Al Xu'ffacsch, or is it Jason Peter Todd?" Ra's' voice asked from some shadowed corner of the room.

"Ra's Al Ghul," Jason stared into the nothingness, knowing he was there somewhere watching his every move.

"Why did you come back when you know that I could have you shot dead the moment you set foot in my sanctuary?" Ra's demanded.

"But you didn't have them shoot me did you?" Jason sneered. "You either have a sick sense of humor or you like me for some reason." The man did not answer this remark.

"You have not answered my question, young man why did you come back."

"I came back to seek your training, but there is something else. Something out there in the darkness, something terrifying; something that will not stop until it gets revenge... Me."

"You seek revenge, do you?" Ra's asked.

"Yes, that is all I live for now," Jason replied.

"Your skills have improved," Ra's congratulated. "Although your manners haven't. My respect for your mentor is not without its merits, if he could train you to do all this then you should be able to stop him."

"_He _didn't train me," Jason growled.

"And I suppose you wouldn't bother to tell me who did then, would you."

"No," Jason spat back, "I have some respect for you Ra's, but not Ubu, there, he's just a big pushover." Ubu glared at him.

"If you wish to be trained by me, you must learn to not insult Ubu, he is extremely loyal to me. You could use a lesson in loyalty yourself, Jason."

"I have no ties, no loyalties. The only side I'm on is mine."

"I see. Then why seek me? We did not part on the best of circumstances."

"I sought you because you are Ra's Al Ghul; you have an extensive network and technological connections. Connections I could very well use in my war on crime."

"You do, well your goals are similar, I too wish to rid the entire world of evil; although you are narrow minded in your goals you will serve me well."

"Why the sudden change in attitude?" Jason smirked. "Have my new moves managed to score some points with you?"

"The only reason I'm letting you live is because you have won the favor of my daughter, I myself am fascinated by the circumstances of your resurrection. She sees some potential in you, as do I to a certain extent."

"Then you'll teach me what I need to know?"

"Yes, you have proven a worthy adversary for the League of Shadows," Ra's said, stepping into a lighted area. "I have been searching for an heir who will replace me when I am gone. I thought I had found it in Bruce Wayne, but I was wrong. I can see now that you are worthy to take my place. Will you join me?"

"I'm not interested in heading your League of Shadows; all I want is the means to take my revenge that is all I am asking for."

"I figured you would say as much," Ra's said. "I am not offended. You and I have similar goals, so I will teach you what you need to know in order to outsmart the Batman."

"Thank you," Jason smirked. "It's nice to know that there's someone out there who hates him as much as I do."


	11. Chapter XI: Decption Rising

**Chapter Eleven: Deception Rising **

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Teen Titans or the formula Deception + Disruption + Demoralization = Devastation. That belongs to Jude Watson author of the Jedi Apprentice series. I love those books._

"Now we must attend to other things. First you must unpin my servant Ubu from the wall. It would be most unfortunate if he were to die." Ra's Al Ghul said, turning away from Jason. Jason walked over to a glaring Ubu and wrenched the kris from his shoulder. Jason wiped the blade clean and tucked it away. Ubu grunted painfully and clutched his shoulder has he walked away, a man came and bandaged Ubu's shoulder. Jason walked into another room and began searching for Ra's Al Ghul. He found the League's leader standing in the middle of a small room. The man turned to regard him.

"What do you intend to do now?" Ra's Al Ghul asked.

"I wish to be trained by you," Jason said simply.

"Your skills are exceptional, what could I offer you?"

"Don't be modest, Ra's, you know as well as I do that you know plenty more than I do."

"Tell me, Jason, when the True Master was your instructor did she give you any lessons in manners?" Ra's sneered.

"Now how did you know that?" Jason retorted sarcastically. "Oh yeah, you're the head of a vast technical and informational empire, of _course_ you'd know what I've been up to."

"Must I beat a lesson in respect into your thick skull?" Ra's glared at Jason, "Obviously, the Joker didn't hit you hard enough. You still have no concept of fear, and when it is needed."

Jason suddenly, grabbed Ra's Al Ghul by his shirt and pulled him within inches of his face. He made sure to spit out ever syllable. "Listen, and listen real good; Ra's Al Ghul. Don't you _ever_ joke with me about _him_. That's not even funny. Next time that happens, well it won't be pretty."

"I should have my men shoot you," Ra's replied. His green eyes were cold as steel. "I do hope you learn that lesson. Your stupidity will get you killed….again." Ra's' men swarmed them both, pointing high-powered sniper rifles straight at Jason's head. Ra's gave a gesture and they dropped them to their sides.

"Don't you worry, I'm not going to get myself killed. That's the last thing that's going to happen to me."

"I hope I live to see the day," Ra's laughed sarcastically. "But enough of this, we must begin. But do not think that your quest for vengeance will be quick and easy. Nothing in life is ever easy."

"Yeah, I know that better than anyone," Jason agreed. He had grown up on the streets, surviving day to day by street smarts and wits. He wasn't a privileged person, if he wanted something; he had to get it, some way or another. It was the need to get something that led him to meet the Batman.

"You haven't given my "room" away have you?" Jason asked.

"No, of course not, I knew you would be back, it is just as you left it." Ra's turned away. Obviously this conversation was over. Jason turned and walked out into the hallway, he easily found his room again. He sat down on the hard cot that was his bed and sighed. At least the True Master's beds were comfortable. It would be like sleeping on a hardwood table. Jason stared up at the ceiling; he wondered how long it would take to finally do in the Joker. Would it be weeks? Months? Years? If he could end it all sooner than later, he could start over, be his own man, not that he wasn't his own person now, it just seemed like he had an enormous weight placed upon his shoulders. He wanted to feel that burden lift, and finally be free again.

Jason decided to rest awhile; he felt he would need it. He wondered if he would be taught the same things he had learned from the True Master. He hoped he would learn something he could use to defeat Bruce, Ra's had said he would show him how to outsmart his mentor. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Jason awoke early the next day. He went out, dressed quickly and washed his face. He noticed that no one was up and about so he decided to go find himself some breakfast. He wondered if these people had a kitchen somewhere in the temple. Jason knew they didn't survive on fresh air along and there had to be food somewhere in the building. As he explored the temple, he noticed there was a training room, a courtyard and plenty of dorm-like rooms but he still couldn't find anything that resembled a kitchen.

At long last, Jason found a room that resembled a kitchen. There was some rice in the cupboard and began boiling it. He was starving, and he didn't care if he made somebody mad because he had raided the kitchen. He finished cooking his meal, sat down at a nearby table and began eating. He finished his meal and cleaned his bowl and put his chopsticks away. Just then, Ra's Al Ghul walked in.

"I see you've made yourself comfortable…" Ra's said guardedly.

"So I gather," Jason replied. "When do we start training?"

"Soon," Ra's Al Ghul answered. "I watched your fight with Ubu, I do not think I need to train you in martial arts, your skills have improved immensely, I do not know what I could possibly teach you. However, there are other things you must learn in order to best your former mentor. You may be able to defeat him in battle but what good will it do you if the element of surprise is taken away? If he knows who you are too soon it will do you no good to return to Gotham City."

"I get your point," Jason answered. "So what are you going to teach me?"

"The art of deception," Ra's said with a smile. "Deception is your most valuable weapon in your arsenal now. Although I will give you access to my vast weapon's cash, you will need more than that to accomplish your goals."

"What makes deception so valuable?" Jason asked.

"Deception is the key to destroying your opponent; it is the key that will unlock their ultimate demise. There is a formula I will teach you, that once you learn you to use it, it will be your greatest weapon."

"A formula, that's it? No grand path to vengeance? A _formula_ is all I need to destroy Batman?" Jason sneered incredulously. "Please tell me you're joking."

"I am quite serious," Ra's Al Ghul said simply. "The formula is this: Deception + Disruption + Demoralization equals Devastation."

"What does this do for me exactly?"

"It is a sure proof way to destroy your enemies before they know what hit them," Ra's Al Ghul said. "To master this formula you must first master the art of deception. For example, what is Batman's worst fear?"

"Fear wasn't in this little equation of yours," Jason noted.

"Indeed it wasn't, but it is the core of the formula, to truly deceive your opponent, to completely catch them off guard you must use their fear against them. As I asked before, what is Batman's worst fear?"

Jason began to think, Batman feared nothing, but Bruce Wayne had his fears, and he hid them behind the mask of Batman. If there was one thing Batman feared, it was… "The Batman's worst fear is that his past could come back to haunt him."

"The past…as in you."

"That wasn't exactly what I was thinking of, but then again, you make a good point for an old guy."

Ra's ignored his smart remark. "Deception is the ability to make your opponent believe something while you know what the truth is. Truth is the opposite face of deception, if you can control both; you have an advantage."

Jason sat and listened. Finally, the man's little formula was starting to make sense. "Disruption. Simple yet efficient, disruption is the precursor to chaos. Disrupting your enemy's plans can give you the edge you need to destroy them. It keeps you one step ahead of them. If your enemy is constantly guessing what your next move, you can make it before they can stop you."

"Demoralization, it is the next link in the chain of your enemy's demise. Demoralization comes from the chaos of disruption. If you wish to destroy your foe you merely destroy their reputation and then they will fall, long and hard. If you wish to destroy a hero, the chink in their armor is the people they defend, cause the people to lose their confidence and trust in their protector and then they will doubt their own abilities. Then you will proceed to the final step to their demise: devastation."

"Devastation. The ultimate triumph, your enemy has fallen into your hands. You have outwitted them from the beginning. Their devastation comes on many fronts, physical, emotional, spiritual, they have worn themselves down until they have no strength to fight you. They have stood in the way of your cause and if someone stands in the way of true justice, you simply walk up behind them, and stab them in the heart. Your enemy is beneath you and you have won."

"How come this little formula of yours never works on Batman?" Jason smirked.

"Oh, doesn't know about the formula, but he is very resourceful, his powers of detection are formidable. He has always been able to foil my plans before all the steps before the formula is completely finished."

"So although the Batman foils me, he does not know you are still here."

"Is that all you have to teach me?" Jason asked. If that was all he needed to know he had spent a long time searching for something so simple, there had to be more, that couldn't be the only lesson Ra's had for him.

"No, no there is much more for you to learn. Bruce Wayne never taught you how to wield firearms, did he?"

"No, Bruce hates firearms, the only one who was ever allowed to carry one is Alfred," Jason replied. "He said they were part of the evil plague that filled Gotham. It was guns that made men criminals."

'That may or may not be true," Ra's said simply. "Bruce Wayne hates guns because it was the weapon that killed his parents. But guns are only tools, the means to an end. You have no such qualms about using arms against your enemies."

"That's what I believe," Jason agreed. "What's next?"

"I will train you in marksmanship and firearms, you will learn to operate an arsenal of weapons and in time you will be one of the finest marksmen that lives."

"Is that flattery or are you serious?" Jason asked incredulously.

"No Jason, I do not flatter you, I am quite serious about my offer to train you. As I have said before, although I have lived for 600 years I am not completely immortal. The Lazarus Pits only work once for the user, and those are not in strong supply at the moment. I will eventually die, will you reconsider my proposition to take my place and marry my daughter when I am gone?"

"Take your place and marry your…wait a minute, I am _way_ too young for your daughter, and besides, I thought she loved Bruce Wayne."

"She does see the Detective as her beloved but it will never come to fruition because of his ideals and beliefs that clash with my own."

"Okay…" Jason frowned. "I think I get the picture."

For the next two months Jason trained in firearms and other various weapons. From Uzis to MP5A4 submachine guns, Jason could wield them all. He had become an expert shot and he could rival even Alfred Pennyworth, who was an expert shot, he never mised. Jason had watched the elderly butler go to the shooting range, he claimed he did it as a hobby, but Jason knew it was to keep up his marksmanship in case it was ever needed.

Jason found he preferred machine guns as his primary weapon. He favored the AK-47 but could also use the M16 Service Rifle. The Colt Commando was also good; he could make use of that as well.

Rocket launchers were his new best friend. They were very powerful weapons. He could attack vehicles from great distances. The FIM-92 Stinger, the MAC-10, the RPG-7, and the M-160 Rocket Launcher were his primary choice weapons.

He had become an expert in explosives and grenades. He could use Blank Firing Impact Grenades and Sting Grenades and Stun grenades. He preferred to use Incendiary grenades, phosphorous filled grenades that could leave the target with leathal burns and cause serious injury. They were very deadly. The AN-M14 grenade was extremely deadly because it did not need oxygen to sustain the reaction and could be detonated underwater. Jason decided this would be his primary weapon when it came to grenades.

During this time, Jason trained with Talia. She taught him how to use his kris. They would spar for hours and hours until he had honed the skills needed to wield it as a deadly weapon. Today was no exception, Jason felt more invigorated than ever. He dodged a vicious blow Talia sent his way as her kris whizzed above his head.

Jason unleashed a ferocious kick aimed at Talia's midsection. The blow connected and she staggered back. She countered his attack with an elbow to the face. He responded by bringing his fist hard across her face. She accepted the blow and brought her knee smashing up into his gut. Jason felt the wind get knocked out of him and he flew back. Talia suddenly grabbed him and head butted him hard. He felt dizzy but concentrated on the fight and not the woozy feeling overtaking him.

The two warriors clashed again as both blades met again and again. Jason blocked her blow and turned it aside while Talia directed blows aimed at his stomach and chest. Jason managed to avoid the blows and brought his leg kicking up in a large arc that slammed across her face; she lost her concentration and dropped the blade. Quick as lightening, he kicked it aside and held the blade to her throat.

"Yield," he hissed. He stood in front of her. His breathing was ragged, he hoped they were finished, Talia was silent for a moment; finally she spoke.

"Just because you have disarmed me doesn't mean you've won." Without hesitation, she brought her knee slamming up into his groin. Jason felt pain shoot up through his body as he realized she had just smashed her leg into a certain reproductive organ. Groaning, he dropped the knife and fell to his knees. He shot up a furious glare at her.

"What was that for?" he growled out angrily.

"That was to teach you to always mind your surroundings." Without a word, she turned and left.

"From now on, I'm wearing a cup," Jason groaned out as he climbed to his feet. He made his way into the temple. He was going to be sore for a long time.

Jason headed down a concealed elevator into a hidden garage beneath the temple in the Himalayas. He made his way over to a workbench and began building his own custom motorcycle, he wanted a means of transportation and he envied Robin and the R-Cycle he owned. He had never established himself to receive such gifts from Batman. He never gave Jason the chance. He was always berating him and lecturing him. Perhaps if Batman had let him prove himself this wouldn't have happened. No, there were too many things he didn't do right, he wasn't perfect, the Batman required perfection. It was one thing on his long list of things he hated about Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Jason began assembling his motorcycle. He meticulously constructed the steel chassis, making it exactly the way he wanted it. The hard stainless steel frame would be sturdy for his excursions so he could travel with ease. He painted it black, with his white skull icon and large red X embossed on the front fairing. He also tinted the windshield a dark black. The fairing was made out of fiberglass and he knew it wouldn't easily break.

Jason had picked out two wheels with steel spokes with an aluminum hub. He also picked out the best touring tires money could buy. This way he'd be able to travel a long distance without too much wear and tear on the tires. What good were fancy tires if they wore out right when you really needed them?

Jason made sure to put the engine in first, then the transmission. Next came the brakes and the instruments. Jason installed the speedometer, the odometer, the tachometer and the fuel gauges. As an extra precaution, he added two tubes that would feed extra gas into his tank just in case he needed one. After he assembled the cycle he added lights and the finishing touches. After placing the seat cushion and embossing the leather, the bike was completed. Jason then spent the rest o his time constructing three more cycles, which he left unmarked; he never knew when he might need them.

Jason smiled. Soon. It was all going to happen very soon. All he had to do now was return to Gotham City. He began gathering his things together. It was time to head home. He heard a noise behind him in his room and turned to look at the intruder.

"So you are ready to leave us," Ra's Al Ghul said simply.

"Yes, there is no more I need to learn, the only thing left is to take my revenge," Jason said simply. He turned back to his packing.

"What will you do after that is done?"

"That's none of your business, I'm sure you've probably figured that out already," Jason snapped sarcastically.

"It's not like I expected an answer from you, I know you well enough by now Jason; your personality is marked by your sarcasm."

"Was that so obvious?" Jason sneered.

"Yes, quite, but now we must part ways; I hope you are successful in your quest, for your sake."

Jason said nothing. He continued packing his small bag and making sure he had what he needed. He had a first aid kit and survival rations in case he got stranded somewhere. He discovered the League of Shadows had a generous supply of Xenothium in secret warehouses beneath the temple. He had obtained Ra's' permission to take some and now he had a full supply and he had learned where there was more from the League's databases. He would be fine for a long, long time.

Jason quietly loaded his things onto the back of the cycle and climbed aboard.

"I guess we will not see each other again, Ib'n Al Xu'ffacsch," Talia smiled sadly. "Perhaps one day, we will see each other again."

"Who knows," Jason shrugged. "Until next time." He could not drive the bike down the mountain so he walked it down. It took him two days but he finally made it down to a small patch of road where he could ride the rest of the way.

He made his way to the nearest airport and booked a ticket for the Metropolis airport, he decided before he returned to Gotham he would visit some of the League's warehouses and start gathering his arsenal for when he would wage war on Gotham's scum of the criminal underworld. He would also pick up some more Xenothium and then he would ship his motorcycles over to the States as well.

Jason drove from the Himalayas to the city of Hong Kong, spending the night in cheap hotels using the League's funds to pay for his rooms. Talia had given him access to her accounts so that they were untraceable. She was an expert at covering the League's financial transactions so that those who tried to catch them would be bogged down in investigation and red tape.

Currently, Jason was staying in the Regal Airport Hotel located on 9 Cheung Tat Road in the Hong Kong International Airport. Jason spent the time in the hotel counterfeiting a Departure card for visitors to Hong Kong. He also foraged a passport using his alias Ib'n Al Xu'ffacsch. He had been taught well and unless you had the trained eyes of Batman or Robin, you'd never know that it was a fake.

Jason walked up to the ticket taker and handed her his ticket he had purchased and his false passport and departure card. The lady looked over them and nodded. He boarded the plane. Jason smiled; it was nice to be heading home.

* * *

Jason arrived in Metropolis, leaving the airport, he headed to the warehouse that supposedly stored "cucumbers and peppers", but the only cucumbers in this warehouse were high-caliber military weaponry. He approached the guard and gave him a look. The man just stared at him.

"I need to get inside," Jason said in a demanding voice. "Let me in!"

"Why should we listen to you?" the man asked. "Do you know the pass phrase?"

"Looking glass," Jason growled. The man let him inside. He began rummaging through the weapons. He grabbed a box of AK-47s and a box of M-160 Rocket Launchers.

"I want all of this shipped to Gotham city. Make it small shipments in separate boxes. I don't want anyone to figure out who asked for this." The men looked at him.

"Why should we give you this? How do we know you're a member of the League of Shadows?" The man demanded.

Jason whipped out his knife and pressed it to his throat. "Is this enough proof for you?" he asked with a glare.

"Yes," the man gulped. "It will be as you ask. We will send your weapons to Gotham City." Jason turned and left the warehouse. He began heading across the country, stopping in Star City and Smallville, gathering bombs, grenades and rocket launchers. Everything was in place, but he had one last stop, Jump City. He needed to hide his bike. He wouldn't be Red X in Gotham; the last thing he wanted was for both Batman _and_ Robin to be on his tail.

Jason was resting at a local gas stop in California when suddenly a strange fat man in a black coat and a strange red car drove up. He was rather fat and had a small mustache. Jason frowned. How did a fat guy like that fit into such a small car? He spotted something in his hands, Jason stared, _Robin's insignia! How did he get Robin's briefcase?_ Jason quickly removed a small gun-like tool from his utility belt and fired it onto the back of the case. Now he could track the case wherever it went.

Jason filled up his gas tank and began driving down the road. He hit a switch and listened to the surveillance tap. All he heard was some catchy tune from what sounded like a very old sounding record player.

_In what decade does this guy live, huh? The '40s? _Jason frowned. There was a loud _screech_ as the brakes pulled the car to a stop. He wondered if the fat man had run over a rabbit.

"_What's buzzin', cousins?" _the man asked. Okay, so it wasn't a rabbit. It was people. Who would be standing in the middle of the road?

"_You're going to hand over what you stole—now!"_ Oho, so fat boy had bumped into the Boy Wonder. No doubt he knew the man had stolen his case.

"_Chill out, cool cat. The Ding Dong Daddy ain't cruisn' for a bruisin'. The prize is yours. All you gotta do is race me for it."_ Racing. Sounds fun.

"_What does he mean, prize?"_ It was Beast Boy. Obviously, they didn't know about it.

"_Bulletproof, fireproof, blastproof. Encrypted lock. And here's the real kicker."_ Jason heard the other Titans gasp in shock.

_"Robin, when you said we had to stop a crook, I think you left out a minor detail—you were the one robbed!"_ Cyborg said.

Jason heard Robin say, _"It doesn't matter. Last chance. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."_

_"How 'bout_ my _way?"_ the Ding Dong Daddy asked. _"You want it back; you'll need to beat me in a race." _Jason could sense a smirk coming on. "_That's if you have the wheels for it!"_

_"You're challenging the T-Car with that thing? Oh, you are on!"_ Jason heard the engine rev. The fat guy with the dinky jeep was actually going to go through with his little scheme.

"_Then I'll see you at the finish line! Be there or be square!"_

Jason brought his motorcycle to a screeching halt. A race for Robin's stuff, sounded promising. He could win the race and sell off the case to highest bidder. He was going to need money when he got to Gotham City. A spur-of-the-moment get-rich-quick-scheme could set him up for awhile. He turned his bike around and headed back toward the location of the case. Now he was glad he had placed that nanoscopic-sized tracking device and surveillance on the case when he spotted the Ding Dong Daddy in the gas station. He powered up his bike full throttle and sped toward the location of the case.

He watched the road fly by him and began searching for signs of the Titans, Robin, or the Ding Dong Daddy. Jason was passing by a small, dull green pickup truck filled with chickens. Jason did a double take, was that Starfire and Raven in that thing? He didn't have time to think, within seconds, he saw the T car and passed them by.

He saw Robin's motorcycle up ahead; he was straining to reach the case that the Ding Dong Daddy was holding just out of arm's reach.

"Just a little bit closer—" Robin said, he was about to grab it.

Jason revved up his engines, bringing his cycle slamming into Robin's from the side.

"Not so fast, Robin. I'll be winning that prize today." Jason moved ahead of the Boy Wonder.

Robin gave him a glare as he said his name, "Red X." Jason smiled. This was going to be more fun than he thought.


	12. Chapter XII: A Fight To The Finish

**Chapter Twelve: A Fight To The Finish (We're Even) **

Jason was barreling down the road trying to catch up with the Ding Dong Daddy when suddenly, a voice boomed over the radio on his cycle.

_"Attention all bad guys! Bird-Boy Robin's secret stuff is up for grabs! All you have to do is win some stinking race! Start your engines!"_ It sounded like a whiny two-year-old with a sore throat. He had vaguely heard of the H.I.V.E.'s so-called genius Gizmo. Jason stared at the road.

_Is he crazy?_ Jason thought. _Now I'm going to have _everybody _on my tail and now _I _have to deal with all these villain-wannabes after it's all over with, at least I can get some money out of this whole ordeal. _

The Ding Dong Daddy whizzed around a corner as Jason tried desperately to keep his lead in the race for Robin's briefcase. He saw Robin push harder on the throttle and accelerate his bike so that they were neck and neck with each other. "So what's in the case?" Jason asked, mainly out of curiosity.

"You'll never find out!" Robin retorted.

"We'll see about that!" Jason shot back as he turned his bike in and slammed it up against Robin's. They skidded to the far side of the railing that was between them and a very long drop down into the canyon below.

Jason watched sparks fly as Robin's bike slide across hard metal. Robin managed to push him off and regain his balance as Jason once again shoved him into the railing. Robin used his weight to shove him back and accelerated just enough to pull ahead of his bike. The two bikes careened down the hill and Robin managed to take the lead. Jason pushed his cycle harder and pulled up to him.

Jason managed a quick punch aimed at Robin's face. Robin avoided the blow and retaliated with a quick kick that sent his bike sliding across the road. The thief brought his bike slamming back against the Boy Wonder's R-Cycle. More sparks flew until Robin managed to push him away. Jason smashed his bike into the front of Robin's but the Boy Wonder pulled back and changed lanes, overtaking him using the right lane.

The Ding Dong Daddy's car sped over the road and became airborne. Both motorcycles followed in pursuit. Jason's bike slammed into the back of Dick Grayson's as they both tried to outmaneuver each other.

The Ding Dong Daddy looked back at the two riders pursuing him. "This little birdie can fly, but guess what, daddy-Os, so can I!" Jason saw the car increase speed at an unbelievable rate. He wondered how the car could accelerate with such a fat man inside it. They both rounded another corner and sped onto a flat straightaway. Jason took a quick note of the desert scenery.

Dick was still ahead of him but Jason managed to gain enough speed to reach him. Jason wanted to win that case badly. Not because he was going to use it to reveal his older brother's identity, he didn't even need to do that. The case was a Halliburton and there would be no way to open it unless you had the key. Jason also knew that the only person on Earth who might have that key was Dick Grayson.

Not that any of the idiots behind him knew that. He could sell it off to the highest bidder and run off with the money. That is, if he could manage to win the case first. "You don't think I plan on making this easy for you?" Jason asked as he pulled his bike close to Dick's and executed a quick kick. Robin quickly avoided the blow and ducked as Red X punched at him. Robin retaliated with a kick that sent Jason flying across the road.

Red X steadied his bike and moved close to Robin, he executed a spin kick that missed his opponent by inches. Robin blocked a blow with his fist and pulled out his Bo Staff from his utility belt. He swung it at Jason, who activated his X shaped blades and parried the blow. Jason avoided two more blows that barely missed him.

Jason watched his adoptive older brother turn around on his seat and leapt straight at him, he managed to lean as far back as possible to avoid being kicked in the head as Robin performed a back flip that nearly sent him flying off his motorcycle. Robin arched backward and landed back on his bike, he continued to drive, trying to pull ahead of Red X.

"Cool moves," the Ding Dong Daddy congratulated. "That Cat's a blast!" he pumped his fist in the air as he spoke though a bullhorn.

_There's no denying one thing, this guy is weird,_ Jason thought as he pushed the throttle on his motorcycle to its limits. Jason had to duck again to dodge another blow. This time he used his blades on his wrist to slice the staff in half. Robin put the staff back in his utility belt and Jason took advantage of that and pulled ahead of him. The Ding Dong Daddy's car went airborne again and flew over the asphalt. The two motorcyclists followed suit and while they were still in midair, Jason pulled dangerously close to Robin's cycle as if to crush him. Dick moved out of the way as Jason swung his bike around in complete 180 degree spin as it hit the road, he pulled into the lead with Robin close behind.

"Why are you doing this?" Robin demanded, pointing at the Ding Dong Daddy. "You're only helping him!"

"You've got it all wrong, kid. I'm only interested in helping myself." Jason replied, pointing a thumb at his chest. "That case is up for grabs and I'm gonna grab it."

"It means nothing to you. It's only valuable to me," Robin tried to convince the thief to give up the chase. If it had no value to him, why would he still want it? He wasn't threatening him per se; he just looked out for himself.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jason warned, "I can think of a few people who might like to buy if off me when I win."

Robin turned to look behind him. He saw the smoke clear and he saw Gizmo, the Puppet King, Fang and Kitten, Mad Mod, Control Freak, Dr. Light, and Johnny Rancid, along with a no name yellow convertible all barreling towards them. Robin pushed his bike harder. This was going to get ugly.

Robin and Red X continued to speed across the road, with the villains not far behind. The one who had the most lead next to Robin and Red X was Johnny Rancid and everyone else was tied. Robin managed to push past Red X and speed toward the Ding Dong Daddy. He was straining to reach his case.

"You're getting warmer, much, much warmer!" the Ding Dong Daddy taunted. "Wow man, you're like radioactive!"

The Ding Dong Daddy managed to pull ahead of him. He decided that if he wanted to win he'd have to get the Boy Wonder out of the way. The man pushed a button on the control panel of his car. "It's time to chill out!" he said as a stream of cold ice shot out from the back of his jeep, freezing the road behind him.

Jason struggled to maintain control of his cycle on the slick road as he swerved to avoid the stalagmites that shot up out of the ice. The Ding Dong Daddy suddenly stood up and grabbed an armload of small bombs and explosives. He quickly dropped them onto the road and turned back to the wheel. Jason swerved to the left, barely managing to avoid a bomb just as it exploded nearby. Now he had two things to worry about, dodging explosives and winning that case.

"Code of the road: There ain't no prizes for second place. Later gators!" he shouted as he sped off into the distance.

Jason weaved in and out of ice stalagmites as he inched closer to the Robin. He sped up and launched his bike into the air; he hoped it would give him just enough momentum to get in front of Robin. It worked! He managed to take the lead. Then he made the fatal mistake of glancing back to make sure he was in the lead. He turned his head in time to see one of Ding Dong Daddy's explosives straight in his path. His eyes went wide beneath his mask as he dove off the moving vehicle. He saw his motorcycle go up in a ball of fire just as he hit the ground.

_That was close;_ Jason breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad he wasn't dead; then reality hit him like a baseball bat. He had no means of winning the race now; the Ding Dong Daddy said the winner would have to cross the finish line with rubber touching the road. He would never be able to sell the case and use the money to go back to Gotham. Suddenly, Jason felt a hand grab him and pull him out of the smoke. He recognized Robin's gloves and found himself sitting on the back of the R-Cycle.

Jason glanced over at his brother; he had not changed at all. Still the idealistic one, he would save anyone, even if they were his enemy. "Saving me was a mistake," Jason said in a voice that was devoid of emotion. He shouldn't have saved him; he didn't have any reason to. It was just another thing on Jason's I-Owe-You List. He would always be indebted to the Boy Wonder, but the thing that bothered Jason wasn't necessarily that Dick had saved him as much as his brother's motive for saving him.

He didn't need to save him, logically, Red X was a thorn in Robin's side, brining up guilt about his past actions. Now Red X had returned to be a nuisance again. Jason was surprised that Dick didn't just leave him stranded in the middle of the road. Had Dick saved him because of the case, or was it something else?

"The case really means that much to you?" Jason asked. That _had_ to be the reason; Robin saved him because of the case. It was obviously something of great value to the Boy Wonder, though he had no idea what it could possibly be.

"You have no idea," Robin said. That case was important to him. It held things that pertained to his personal life, things he didn't want anyone to know about. He didn't want Red X to steal it, and he didn't think it would be right to leave him in the middle of the road where the other supervillains would have no qualms about turning him into road kill, so he pulled him out of the smoke and onto his bike.

"Then go get it," Red X said as he jumped off the backseat and launched himself into the air. He pushed the button on the utility belt and teleported himself straight at Johnny Rancid. Landing on top of the villain's motorcycle. He quickly placed his hand on the front of the motorcycle, planting an X shaped Xenothium-powered explosive. Rancid quickly jumped off and watched his vehicle tumble end over end and explode. Jason saw a pink limousine drive past Rancor's cycle and he teleported up and landed in the back seat as his feet pushed the sunroof into the car below. Jason landed and sat down, quickly switching his Xenothium blades on and using them like chainsaws, he sliced the limo in half from the floor to the ceiling.

Jason jumped out of the sunroof and landed on Control Freak's convertible. He used his Xenothium to shoot out an X shaped stream of the chemical onto Mad Mon's car. The substance hardened and contracted as the two cars slapped together, sending both into an uncontrollable spin. Jason quickly placed an explosive on the Amazing Mumbo's hat shaped car; the impact sent the vehicle up into the air and on top of the Puppet King's, causing it to topple over. Both cars landed on Dr. Light's and sent it careening across the road. Jason managed to teleport out of the way of a yellow convertible and land in front of Gizmo. The H.I.V.E. student looked at him, eyes wide in shock.

"Whose side are you on Barf Brain?" Gizmo screamed.

"Mine!" Jason shot back, slapping an explosive onto the front of the car. He winked out of the way and made his way to a large school bus with an oversized rocket attached to the top. He landed on the roof and poked his head down to see inside. To his surprise, he saw Raven at the wheel and Starfire sitting on the seat beside her. Starfire let out an "Eep!" and Raven glared at him.

"Need a lift?" Raven asked sarcastically.

Jason flipped down onto the hood of the bus and looked at them. "Tell Robin we're even, for now." Jason leapt backward and punched the button on his utility belt. He'd had enough fun, now it was time to get serious. Jason teleported back to where the smoldering remains of his motorcycle was and began searching for his suitcase. He sighed, he had worked so hard on that bike, and now it was gone. It didn't really matter though, he wouldn't need it in Gotham, and there were plenty of ways to get to your destination besides driving your own vehicle.

Jason finally found his luggage, he was thankful it was undamaged. He had all his clothes and his kris; that was all he needed for now. It was time for him to go.

He programmed the coordinates to deposit him on the outskirts of Gotham City. He landed on the open road. Jason snuck into an abandoned barn and changed into his normal clothes, he hoped he hadn't been spotted and quietly made his way out onto the side of the road where he held his thumb out as a hitchhiker. A man was kind enough to give him a ride and climbed into the front seat. He watched as Gotham City loomed closer and closer. It was time to start what he had been dreaming of: his path to avenge himself and pay the Joker back for the death of his mother. Jason let out a sigh, there was only one thing he regretted other than the fact that it had been just over two years and he was finally back in his hometown, he never found out what was in Robin's case. He felt that for some reason, whatever was in it had to do with him. He put it out of his mind; he was finally home.


	13. Chapter XIII: Dead Man Plotting

**Chapter Thirteen: Dead Man Plotting**

**Disclaimer: **I _don't own a thing. Certian things at the end come from Batman Annual #25 and that Belongs to DC Comics and Judd Winick._

Robin felt the wind sweeping over him as he crossed the finish line. With Red X's unexpected help, he had caught up to the Ding Dong Daddy. Although the villain had crushed his R-Cycle, Robin had outsmarted him by launching himself backwards and launched his grappling hook onto the back of his car. Robin used the hooks momentum as he pulled himself forward and kicked the Ding Dong Daddy off his car and onto the pavement as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Robin leaped off the car as it crashed into the wall. He landed with his helmet tucked under one arm and his briefcase under the other. The Ding Dong Daddy awoke with a start and staggered toward him woozily.

"What do you say, cool cat? Rematch? Steel City or…bust. The prize…belongs to the…Daddy." The man hit the floor with a thud.

Robin smiled, "Code of the road: There's no prize for second place, Daddy-O." He looked up in time to see a large school bus with a rocket attached to the roof speed across the finish line and take the sign with it. The bus pulled to a stop and the door opened as Starfire flew out to join him. He grinned at the wide smile on her face.

"Robin! You have won!" Starfire exclaimed as Raven joined her.

"We're glad you got your…whatever-it-is back," Raven said, just a little curious about what they had been trying to protect, but she knew Robin was a very private person. He kept secrets. They had learned to live with it so she didn't press the matter.

Starfire's eyes went wide and Raven turned her attention to something coming down the road. It was Cyborg, Beast Boy, and the T-Car, or what was left of the T-Car anyway; everything was gone except for the axle and two wheels. Beast Boy was a horse and he was pulling the T-Car using makeshift reigns.

"That's right! Nothing can stop the T-Car!" Cyborg proclaimed triumphantly as they crossed the line. Beast Boy returned to human form as his shoulders stooped from exhaustion. Raven wondered how far he had walked to get there.

"Uh…what T-Car?" Raven asked. There _was_ no T-Car to speak of. Both forms of normal transportation for the Titans were obliterated.

The green changeling made his way over to the axle and knelt down, he stared sadly at the remains of the T-Car. "It was a sweet ride… while it lasted."

"Don't sweat it, BB," Cyborg said, "we'll build another one. The important thing is, we're all back together."

"I guess that's a pretty good prize," Beast Boy said, looking up. Everyone was curious to see what Robin had in the case. Even if they couldn't find out what was inside, they were back together again, and that in itself wasn't a bad prize.

"Actually, I've got another. All of you took a risk to help me protect this. It's only fair that I show you what's inside," Robin held up the case.

You don't need to do that, Robin. Sometimes secrets aren't meant to be shared.

"I used to think that…but not anymore," Robin, said as he quietly unlocked the briefcase. The other Titans gathered around their leader, peering down into the case.

"Robin, what is all this?" Starfire asked. There were photographs, pictures of them, and…there were some she did not recognize.

"Who is this?" Beast Boy asked, holding up a photograph of two teenagers. They were both dressed as Robin, only one wore a more acrobatic outfit than that of their leader. "And why is he dressed like you? Is he a fan of yours?"

"His name is Jason Todd, and he's not a fan of mine, he's my…younger brother," Robin admitted sheepishly. He hadn't thought about Jason in some time. He wondered how he was. He had been keeping tabs on his activities, but he hadn't checked up on him in months. Robin was disturbed by something he had heard, a rumor that said Batman's new Robin had supposedly pushed Felipe Garzonasa off a balcony. He wasn't on speaking terms with Bruce but he did speak to Jason periodically. He hadn't spoken to him in while, Slade's return and battling the Brotherhood of Evil had kept him busy. He promised himself once the Brotherhood was no longer a threat he would contact Jason and find out his side of the story.

"I did not know you had a brother," Starfire said.

"He's not my biological brother, we were both adopted by the Batman soon after I left. I must admit, I didn't like him at first."

"Why?" Beast Boy asked.

"It's personal," Robin said. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But why would there be two Robins? Doesn't that really complicate things?" Cyborg asked.

"Not really, while Batman is known all around the world, I don't have that much notoriety, which is probably a good thing for what we do. I'm well known in Gotham, and that's good enough. Having two Robins doesn't really matter. Jason is Batman's Robin and I'm here with you."

"Still…two Robins is kind of odd," Beast Boy said.

"Do you ever speak to the Jason Todd?" Starfire asked.

"Sometimes, but not often, maybe after this is all over, I'll introduce you guys."

"Cool, but what ware we going to do now?" Beast Boy asked.

"We'll rest a bit, then we have to defeat the Brotherhood of Evil," Robin said.

"Yes, yes, I know," Beast Boy said, "You're starting to go Mento on me. Let's just get this over with."

The Titans waited for the T-Ship to arrive. The Brotherhood of Evil wasn't beaten yet, and Robin would not rest until they had been brought to justice. Robin sat in the center pilot seat and stared out the window. For a moment he let his mind wander back to Jason. He wondered how he was doing. He hadn't heard anything about him for quite some time. Dick put the thought out of his head; he had other things to do. He would check up on his kid brother later….

* * *

_Three Weeks Later…._

Robin sat down at he computer in Titans Tower, he was busy researching rumors about Professor Ivo. Apparently, the made scientist was in the midst of crating a very advanced android. Rumors flew that he intended to attack the Justice League when the project was complete. But details were sketchy and information was hard to come by using typical, legal gathering sources.

He set aside his research and walked out to the living room. He had been reminding himself to do it for weeks, but time had always seemed to get away from him. Robin punched in the coordinates, and waited.

Beast Boy looked up and stared. "Dude, what's goin' on?"

"I'm visiting an old friend. Alfred, are you there?"

A man's face appeared on the screen. "Master Robin? How nice of you to call. How may I be of service?"

"Robin, why does he call you "master"?" Beast Boy asked.

"He's a friend," Robin said. "I'm sorry I haven't called. I've been really busy. How is Jason?"

"I'm sorry, Master Robin…you didn't know? No one told you?" Alfred stared at him in shock.

"What's going on, Alfred, what do you know that I don't know? Did something happen to Jason?"

"Robin, he is dead. Murdered."

"WHAT?!" Robin shouted; he slammed his fists on the keyboard, Beast Boy jumped up. He moved toward his friend in shock.

"Dude, what's going on? I didn't hear everything."

"JASON'S DEAD?! He's been dead and no one's told me?" Robin was seething. "When is the funeral? I'm coming back. Batman needs me. I'll be as soon as I can—"

"I'm sorry Robin, Jason has been dead for over a year, he's buried in Gotham Cemetery."

"He's dead, and buried, FOR OVER A YEAR? And still Batman didn't tell me? He's dead, and buried, FOR THREE YEARS?! And still Batman didn't tell me? Why Alfred, WHY!" Robin screamed in fury.

"He said that he would deal with it in his own way, he didn't want to tell you, he wasn't ready," Alfred sighed. "I tried to persuade him otherwise. I insisted he tell you immediately but he would not listen to me."

"How did he die, Alfred?" Robin asked in a whisper.

"He went to Ethiopia to find his mother, Sheila Haywood. He found her and discovered she was being blackmailed by the Joker. Batman told Jason to stay away, but he refused to listen to his warnings and tried to stop him on his own. The Joker...beat Master Jason with a crowbar, and then left the boy and his mother with an explosion to die in the warehouse. Batman was too late...and Master Jason died in the blast."

"No, no no, no, NO!" Robin screamed. He slammed his fists down so hard he split the keyboard in two. "HOW COULD HE NOT TELL ME THIS?!" HOW?!!"

"I'm coming back, Alfred," Robin said.

"But Robin, there is nothing that you can do about Jason's death. Your return will not change that."

"I know, but I want answers, I want to know why this information was kept from me. Why didn't he tell me sooner?" Robin stared down at the keyboard, glaring angrily.

"I don't understand why he has hidden this from you for so long, but I'm sure he has his reasons. And you know about Barbara Gordon."

"Yes, I heard about what the Joker did to her, how is she?"

"She's out of the hospital, why didn't you come see her?"

"But Sir, you can't just up and leave your friends now. You are their leader."

"Alfred, please do not lecture me about duty. I have heard enough from him when I lived under his roof, no offense, but I don't need you to lecture me. I know what I do here is important. I can leave Cyborg in charge while I'm away."

"Goodbye old friend, I'll see you soon." Robin ended the transmission.

Cyborg walked into the room and looked at him. "What? You're leaving us?"

Raven walked through the door along with Starfire. Beast Boy spoke up, "I can't believe it. Did the Joker really kill that Jason kid?"

"Yes, Beast Boy, he did."

"How come we didn't hear about the death of Batman's Robin?" Cyborg asked. "Wouldn't it have been all over the news?"

"No, that's not how he works. Batman would want to keep the true identity of Robin a secret. He wouldn't want anyone, especially the press, to know that Joker had murdered his sidekick. Even I didn't know he was dead, and I was his first partner!" Robin's hands folded into fists. "I have to go back home. There are things that I must see to."

"Why must you go back to Gotham City?" Starfire asked. "The boy Jason is dead, yes? Will returning to Gotham help you?"

"I just want to get answers to some questions. I'll be back in no time at all. I promise, but for now, I want to be alone. I'll be in the gym if anyone needs me." Robin turned and walked out of the room.

"That is so sad," Starfire said in a soft whisper.

"Yes, but why is he going back exactly?" Raven asked. She hadn't heard the conversation. She had been up on the rooftop meditating.

"That boy in the photo, Jason, he's been murdered by the Joker," Beast Boy said.

"Yeah, he's taking it real hard too," Cyborg said. "He's leaving for Gotham tomorrow."

"Is there mot something we can do for him?" Starfire asked.

"I think the best thing we can do is let him grieve, he's very angry at the fact that Batman didn't tell him what happened," Beast Boy said. "He yelled at his butler, what's his name? Alfred, for a while too."

"I will go speak to him," Starfire said quietly. "I want to help him."

* * *

"He should have told me, Jason my brother, he was one of us!" Dick shouted to the empty ceiling as he pounded his fists into the punching bag, beating it relentlessly. "_Why_ did he hide it from me? I could have helped him, and he hides from me, treats me like I'm still a kid, and now when he needs me most, he shuts me out!" Dick executed a blindingly fast spin kick into the punching bag, sending it swinging back and forth erratically.

"At least he could have told me himself, instead, I have to hear it from Alfred and yell and scream at him too! He's the one I'm mad at!" Robin slammed his elbow into the punching bag and struck it as hard as he could with his fists. The bag flew off the rope that secured it to the ceiling and it fell to the floor with a loud _thump_.

The door opened with a _hiss_ and Starfire walked inside. "Hello Robin is there…anything I can do to help you?" she asked gently.

"No, there isn't anything…there isn't any…" Dick felt his body shaking. He felt the grief welling within him. The tears pooled at the corner of his masked eyes and threatened to spill out and slide down his face. He tried to remember his training, he attempted to keep his emotions in check, but it was no use. He fell to his knees and wept.

The salty tears dripped down his cheeks as he attempted to compose himself. He needed to release his anguish and he knew this was the only way he could. "Why?" he roared to no one in particular. "WHY DID THIS HAPPEN TO US?!!"

"I…I do not know why Robin, but I want to be of some help or assistance to you in this time of great loss. Please," Starfire knelt down beside him. "Is there anything that I can do?"

Robin didn't answer her. He just pulled her into a tight hug, and wept on her shoulder. Not knowing what else to do, she let him stay there. If this was the only way she could help him, she would gladly oblige, she helped him grieve, and that was enough for her.

Dick felt some of the weight of his grief lift as he gradually calmed down. He knew that there would be a part of him that would always grieve for Jason. He would hold his memories of the young man who fought for justice in a special place in his heart. He would make sure that he would not forget his brother. He would make it a priority to visit Jason's grave when he arrived in Gotham City.

"Thank you, Starfire," he whispered softly. "Thank you…"

"You are welcome, Robin. I am glad I could help you." Starfire smiled. She squeezed his shoulder and left him alone. Dick walked over to a nearby bench and pulled out the briefcase from underneath the seat. Unlocking it, he pulled out the picture of he and Jason that Alfred had taken during one of his visits to Gotham, which he made annually once a year. His friends new about his trips but he had not told them about Jason until recently.

Dick smiled sadly and let the tears continue to fall. He would never forget Jason. He would cherish his memory for the rest of his life.

* * *

Jason sat in the mostly empty Hotel Des 2 Lion somewhere in Gotham City. He was examining the documents Talia had given him when he had departed from the Himalayan Mountains. He was reading his death certificate and poring over the news articles, reading about how Batman had returned Joker to Arkham Asylum and had not avenged his death. The very thought made Jason's blood boil.

He swore angrily and hurled the lamp at his bedside into the television, smashing the glass and sending shards scattering around the room. He leapt up and smashed his fist into the mirror, ignoring the blood on his knuckles, all he could think about is how he knew that his murderer was still alive and breathing, and how the one man who could have done away with him wouldn't kill him.

"You son of a b----!" Jason snarled. How did that death worshiping piece of garbage even share the same air as he did?

He began making sure to cover his tracks, he had asked Talia to find the coffin maker who had fashioned his casket and bribe him to make a duplicate. He didn't want Batman to suspect anything and dig up the grave and discover his body missing. He also made sure to start slowly, methodically purchase certain items from Wayne Tech that he would use in his war on crime. He also needed money, and he knew there were plenty of ways to get it.

He sat down at the computer and checked his e-mail. He smiled as he read one of the new messages. It was from Talia.

_J-  
1. Wayne Tech purchases succeeding.  
2. found original coffin maker. Accepted contract. Trail ends with him.  
3. And more funds to account. Enjoy. _

_-T_

_PS—New business. He is calling himself Hush. You should meet._

Jason smiled. He would strike soon. And Batman would never know what hit him. He would have his revenge, and the Joker would be dead.


	14. Act II: Hush: Chapter XIV: The Hostage

**Act Two: Hush: Chapter Fourteen: The Hostage**

**_Disclaimer: _**_I don't own anything. Hush belongs to Jeph Loeb and DC Comics. Tim Drake is omitted from my continuity because I don't want to deal with that so all Tim's dialogue is coming out of Dick's mouth. I'm sure the Tim Drake fans will be able to live._

Dick Grayson finished packing his suitcase and headed out the T Car where Cyborg was waiting for him to take him to the Jump City Airport where he would catch a flight to Gotham City. He wanted answers; he wanted to know why Bruce had kept Jason's death hidden from him. He stared out the window in the front seat, not saying a word.

"Dude, are you sure you're gonna be okay? How long are you gonna stay there?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'll stay as long as I need to," Robin said, staring straight ahead. Starfire was unusually silent; she knew that Robin wasn't in the mood to talk. They arrived at the Jump City Airport and Robin grabbed his bags.

They walked into the airport and Robin showed the ticket taker his ticket. "Flight American Airlines 815, Robin," the man said. Robin nodded at him and made his way over to gate four.

The Titans followed him. "I hope you find the answers you seek," Starfire said, putting her hand on Robin's shoulder.

He smiled and looked her in the eye and smiled for the first time since he'd received the news of Jason's death. "Thanks, Star." He looked at the other Titans, "Thanks for seeing me off."

"Just call us if you need us," Cyborg said.

"Or if you just wanna say hi," Beast Boy added.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" Raven smiled. "We'll all go crazy if we have to take orders from Cyborg for an extended period of time."

"Hey!" Cyborg shouted, irritated. "That wasn't funny, Raven!" The others were laughing as he turned very red.

"Dude, that was funny," Beast Boy shot back.

"I'd better go," Robin said, preparing to board the plane.

"Robin," Starfire said suddenly. He turned back to her.

"What?" he asked.

She didn't say anything. She just pulled him close and kissed him. It wasn't like the movie kisses that were long, sloppy, and made the observer cringe with disgust. It was soft, sweet and full of meaning. Dick's mind drifted back the first time she had kissed him. Starfire had crash-landed on Earth when she fled from the Gordanians. She had fought Robin and he had freed her from her bonds after Raven said that fighting wasn't the answer. Starfire was Tamaranian and could absorb language and speech through physical touch.

Robin placed his hand on her cheek and held it for a few seconds before pulling away. He smiled. "Goodbye, Starfire."

"Goodbye, Robin," she smiled as she watched him turn around and walk away.

""Why'd you kiss Robin?" Cyborg asked.

"I just felt that I should," Starfire said, sounding very serious. Beast Boy saw this and was about to say something when Raven elbowed him.

"Don't you dare say a word, Beast Boy," she warned.

_Five Hours Later…_

Robin saw Alfred waiting for him when walked into the airport. "Alfred!"

"Hello, Sir," Alfred greeted. The two went and collected his luggage and walked outside the airport where he caught sight of a familiar limousine waiting for him in the parking lot. His butler opened the passenger door and he sat in the back as Alfred made his way to the driver's seat.

They began driving to Wayne Manor. "Alfred, why didn't Bruce tell me about Jason's death?" Dick asked.

"I asked him the day of Master Jason's funeral if I should contact you. He said in his own words, 'No, I'll deal with it in my own way. No more help from now on…that's the way I want it.' That's what he told me."

"But he still receives help from Oracle and Huntress," Dick observed.

"The only reason Huntress is allowed to work in Gotham City is because he wishes to keep an eye on her."

"She's amoral, I know that," Dick said, "but he said he doesn't want any help, but he has it." Dick stared out the window, watching Wayne Manor rise up into view. They pulled to a stop in front of the vast gates. They opened for them and they drove inside.

Alfred parked the car and Dick climbed out. He walked through the doors and made his way straight to the Batcave. He pushed the clock hands to the time that Bruce's parents died and the door opened to the Batcave. Dick headed down the stairs and walked in and saw Bruce entering information into the computer.

"Hello, Dick," Bruce said, not even turning to acknowledge him, "I heard you were coming. What brings you back to Gotham?"

"Jason Todd," Dick said flatly. "Why didn't you tell me he was dead?"

"I wasn't ready," Bruce answered, staring at the screen. "The grief was…too much."

"Was that grief so strong that you hid it from me for three years?" Dick asked angrily. "Jason was my brother and my friend as well. Why didn't you tell me? I would have come to the funeral, and you buried him without me. I could have helped you, but you shut me out!"

"I was trying to deal with another tragedy, another death, another grave," Bruce said quietly. "I won't take another Robin; I won't ask you to come back. You have your team, I have Oracle and Huntress."

"Alfred said you wouldn't have help after Jason died, yet you do," Dick stared at him, his face hardened angrily.

"I know you're angry with me, I should have told you, but you have your own team now, your own problems to deal with. You don't need to be burdened with mine."

"Bruce…I'm sorry about what happened to Jason," Dick felt his anger dissipate. He had heard Batman's behavior had been more erratic, reckless. He did not know it had been because of Jason's death, he thought it had come from the fact that he had taken Jason off duty as Robin. He thought his behavior had stemmed from the fact that he was angry with himself for his decision.

Dick's eyes fell on Jason's costume, encased in glass along with his mask, utility belt and as Jason had called them, the "evil, ugly pixie boots". Jason had always said that they made him look like a fairy and that he wanted ninjas boots instead.

Below, engraved on the pedestal, were the words, _Jason Todd, A Good Soldier. _"A memorial?" Dick asked.

"Yes, in memory of Jason, he was the best," Bruce sighed.

"Yes," Dick agreed. "He worked better with you than I ever did."

"You tell him this?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, I did," Dick said, "I told him that when I last saw him. That was over three years ago."

Bruce nodded as he stared up at the screen.

"So, what's going on?" Dick asked.

"I'm working a case," Batman said. "Killer Croc's kidnapped a boy. His father is a contributor to President Luthor's political campaign."

"Oh, joy," Dick sighed. He didn't like Lex Luthor as President or as a person either. He had it out for Superman specifically, not to mention most of the meta-human population, specifically superheroes.

And he had it out for Bruce Wayne as well,. Luthor held a grudge because of the fact that Wayne Enterprises had made a contract with the military, outbidding LexCorp, which Luthor had once owned, but had left Talia Head, A.K.A. Talia Al Ghul in charge of in his stead.

"Croc kidnapped the boy, name's Edward Lamont IV. He was walking home from school when Croc grabbed him and dragged him down into the sewer."

"Lamont...as in Edward Lamont, the heir of Lamont Chemical Company," Dick said, crossing his arms, "the acquisition of LexCorp, the company that made RC-60; the stuff that makes Napalm look like lipstick."

"So, did Killer Croc ask for ransom money?" Dick inquired. It had been awhile since he'd handled a kidnapping case. Maybe he might get a piece of the action.

"Like clockwork," Batman said, "six hours later, he called the Lamont's and demanded ten million dollars in exchange for the boy."

"That doesn't sound like Crock's M.O. at all," Dick observed. "He's not that smart."

"I know. Everyone wanted to pay the ransom, the family, the D.E.O., the F.B.I., everyone except me."

"I think I know why…" Dick said thoughtfully, "even if Croc got the money…he would kill the boy anyway. _That's_ his M.O."

"Exactly," Bruce said, "I've pinpointed his location with help from Oracle. I've observed him and I know when he'll be gone. He's going to be gone at 7:05 tonight. They paid him the money, but knowing him, I have two minutes as most to get him out of there before Croc kills him."

"They _paid _him?" Dick asked, shocked. "They actually think he'll keep his end of the bargain."

"They're ignorant and stupid, they don't know him like we do."

Dick began tightening his utility belt. "I'll go with you—"

"No," Batman said sternly. "There isn't enough time. I need you to stay here and watch the cave, if something comes up or if anything happens to me, I need you to be ready."

"I'm not a little kid that you can boss around, Bruce," Dick said, glaring at him.

"I know, that's why I need you to stay, there's something going on and I'm going to find out what it is." Batman jumped into one of his many Batmobiles. Dick stared at the screen.

"Contact Oracle," Dick ordered the computer. His friend's face appeared on the screen. She was in the Clocktower, her personal haven and fortress that she used to keep tabs on Gotham and many other cities.

"Dick!" she exclaimed, a little surprised. "I'd heard you were heading back, but this was quick. Of course, I shouldn't' act too surprised. Hacked Jump City Airport's computers, saw you booked a flight under the name Robin."

"Must you always stick your nose in my business, Babs?" Dick asked teasingly, smiling a little.

"Yes," she said with a smile.

"So, why's Croc suddenly changed his M.O.?" he asked. "Kidnapping Edward Lamont. It's not his style, we know that."

"Beats me," Babs said, "I'm watching Bruce through the cameras, looks like he's going to have quite a night. The boy's well guarded."

"Babs, how are you? After what the Joker did to you and all, I'm sorry I couldn't have been there to help—"

"Please don't gush all over the place with sympathy for me, Dick. It's hard for me, yes. I miss the old days…I still have nightmares, but I'm not letting that get in the way of my life." She gave him a smile. "You best hang up and leave me alone, some of us have work to do, Dickie," she smirked and ended the transmission.

"I hate it when she calls me that," Dick muttered, he sat down and began typing in information into he computer. While he was in town, he might as well look up Slade's information, see if he could find out what his arch-nemesis was up to. He began running a scan in the computer, he would make good use of this visit.

* * *

Batman made his way down into Gotham's vast sewer system. He knew Croc was gone and it was 7:04. He had three minutes. He began moving quickly through the muck and dirt down to a locked doorway. That was where Edward Lamont was. He made his way to the door and found it was locked. He didn't have time to pick it, he only had three minutes to get the boy out of there. He pulled out a vial from his utility belt and burned through the lock. It was risky, but he had to do it, he couldn't waste the precious seconds needed to rescue Croc's captive.

The F.B.I. was ready to catch him and preparing to capture him. But they didn't know how he thought; they didn't know how he worked. He was going to kill the boy, money or no money. He had hired men to guard the boy while he was away. Nails Nathan, Tommy Harper, Spider Handcock and Carlos Valdez. Nails Nathan was a former C.I.A. OP, Tommy Harper was a gunrunner, Spider Hancock, was Gotham City muscle, and Carlos Valdez was a Chilean mercenary.

Batman threw a poison-tipped Bat-a-Rang into Nails Nathan's right arm, being right-handed was a weakness he could exploit. The man fell to the ground in seconds as the poison knocked him out. Tommy Harper had a plate placed in his skull and Batman knew he was susceptible to vertigo if he was hit by anything metal. Batman slammed him into the pipe, rattling his brain as he slumped down unconscious. Carlos Valdez didn't even know what hit him and found himself tied up in the blink of an eye. Spider Hancock Batman knew very well. He had broken three of his rips three nights ago; he knew those weren't going to heal up any time soon. Batman tied him up and hung him from the pipeline. He decided to let him know that he wasn't in the mood for a long discussion.

"Where's the boy?" Batman demanded in a gruff, harsh voice.

"I swear, I…don't know," Hancock stammered out.

"You're lying," Batman said, grabbing him by the collar.

"No…NOOOOO…!" Hancock shrieked. He spilled the boy's location instantly. Fear was an excellent motivator.

Batman sprinted down to where Edward Lamont was held. He could see him curled up behind a locked door. He was staring down at the floor with his head between his hands. "Stay down on the floor and cover your ears," Batman ordered. The boy did as he was told.

WHAROOOM!!! An explosion rocked the sewer as Batman detonated the explosive that blew the door off its hinges. Young Edward stood up as the smoke cleared. He stepped toward Batman nervously.

"I'm going to get you out of there," Batman said, extending his hand to the boy.

"Y-you're Batman?" he asked nervously.

"Yes," Batman replied. He wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder and shot a grappling hook up to the sewer manhole. He would be much safer once they reached the surface. He helped Edward through the manhole and then hoisted himself up. He was halfway out when suddenly Edward whispered fearfully in his ear.

"L-look out—" he said. Batman barely had time to turn around when he spotted Killer Croc. Killer Croc slashed at him with his clawed hands. Batman barely had time to avoid the blows.

Batman noticed something. Killer Croc was mutating, now he knew why he was so desperate for money. He looked more like an animal, he looked less human; he was more of a monster than a man.

"YOU SHOUDN'T HAVE COME HERE," Killer Croc roared. "THIS DOESN'T CONCERN YOU."

Killer Croc slammed his clawed fist into Batman's face. "I NEED THAT MONEY." Blood sprayed from Batman's mouth splattered on his face.

"I'M GONNA EAT YOU ALIVE!" Killer Croc raged at the top of his voice. His long tongue flicked in and out of his mouth. Batman could see Croc's jagged teeth as he snapped at him. Why would Waylon Jones bother to kidnap a boy? It was too complex for his simple mind to pull off. Too many variables, too many things that could go wrong, but this was well timed and well executed. Someone was telling him what to do. He was working for or with someone.

Batman slammed his elbow into the hand holding the suitcase with the money. Croc dropped it. Using his distraction, he slammed his head into Croc's and he felt his skull rattle. He followed it up with a kick that sent the suitcase flying away, while Batman was fighting a grappling hook slipped down and as someone slipped down to the case,

"YOUR BONES WILL SNAP," Croc roared, "YOUR BLOOD WILL FILL MY BELLY." Crock flew at him, claws out stretched to rip him to pieces. Batman jumped out of the way and Killer Croc hit the pavement.

Batman placed a hypersonic emitter on the back of Croc's head. This was one thing he was vulnerable to. He was going to take advantage of that.

"YARRRRXCH!" Killer Croc roared, trying to pull the device off the back of his head. Batman grabbed a chain near one of the pipes. He wrapped it around Croc's head and torso, hoisting him up and slamming his head into the pipe. Killer Croc slipped into black oblivion and slumped over..

"YEAH!" Edward shouted, rising his fist in the air.

"Edward, be quiet," Batman ordered. Just then, about a dozen Gotham Police, F.B.I, and D.E.O. dropped around them.

"F.B.I.! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" the leader shouted. She was a red head with a strong personality and a slight distrust of the Batman.

"Not how we would have handled it—" she said.

"This is my city," Batman growled.

"Easy, son, we're going to take you home now," a man from the G.C.P.D. said to Edward.

"…But…I want to stay with Batman," Edward protested in a whisper.

"—Let me finish," the leader said staring at Batman. "But you got results. The boy is safe and the money—"

She looked down at the ground. The money was nowhere in sight. "Where the heck is the money?"

Batman activated the heat sensor in his cowl. "During the fight…someone took it."

"That's impossible," the leader protested. "No one could've gotten through our perimeter."

"I did," Batman said, firing his grappling hook.

"Where's he going?" the officer near Edward asked.

"And she could have easily…" Batman said as he glided away.

"She?!" The leader asked in shock.

"CATWOMAN!" Batman shouted. She was hanging onto a pipe high above Gotham City.

"What took you so long?" she asked.

"You're back in Gotham City," Batman observed, sprinting after her.

"And you're…" Catwoman said, somersaulting across the roof, "…as observant…as ever."

Batman fired a grappling hook and latched it onto a flagpole. Catwoman sing around the flagpole and vaulted across the skyline. "Like the view?" Catwoman asked. "It's about the only thing you're going to catch tonight."

"Don't be so sure," Batman said, reaching for her ankle. Suddenly, he felt something snap. It was the line on the grappling hook. It snapped. He began falling…falling and there was no way for him to stop it from happening.

Selina Kyle landed on the rooftop. "You were saying…?" she asked, turning around to face the Dark Knight who was trying to catch her…only to find he wasn't there. "Batman...?" She stared. Where was he? It didn't matter; she turned and headed off to Gotham Tower Apartments, she had to meet someone.

* * *

Batman tried to stop his fall by grabbing a protruding gargoyle. He clutched at it vainly. He felt his shoulder snap as it broke. "ARGHK!" he screamed. His body betrayed him. He slammed into the rooftop rolled off the side of the building and hit the ground hard. He could hear, but he couldn't see.

"Well, well, well," a gangster said, holding a knife in his hand. "Look what fell into Hell."

* * *

Selina Kyle arrived at Gotham Tower Apartments. She climbed over the balcony. "Any problems?" a voice asked.

"Batman," she replied.

"And?" the voice asked.

"He…couldn't keep up," she replied.

"You sound disappointed…" Poison Ivy said, one of her plants coiled itself around Catwoman's wrist.

"Does it matter?" Catwoman asked.

"Not really," Poison Ivy said, "As long as you have the money." Ivy smiled. "How would you say it?" she asked. "Purrrfect," she said, imitating Catwoman's purr.

Now…bring me the money…" she said it a hypnotic voice, her plants were working their charms on the thief. "That's it…you know you can't resist me…No man—or woman can." Selina Kyle's eyes glowed poison ivy green as she stood in front of Ivy. So far, Ivy's plan had worked and she had the money.

* * *

_"Can you hear me?" _Oracle asked, she had watched him fall from the building. She was speaking to him through a secure line, trying to assess the situation. _"Okay people, we've got a situation."_

"You think he's dead?" a man asked. Batman wished he could tell her he was in Crime Alley.

"I saw him fall outta the sky like one of them pigeons with a busted wing. I hear he ain't human," a man in dreadlocks said.

"What'dya mean he ain't human?" a man in a hoodie asked. "He's bleeding!"

"How do ya know it's not human blood?" another man in a green cap asked.

_"The Blackbird is down," _Oracle said, _"I repeat, the Blackbird is down."_

"I got a way to tell if he's human or not—" the man in the bandana said, reaching for his mask.

_"He's in the North End," _Oracle continued. _"Is anybody in the area?"_

"—Let's take off his mask!" the man was about to pull it off when suddenly mace poured out form vents in the side of his cowl.

"Koff, ack!" the man shouted, clutching his eyes, "Gah…can't see …eyes."

"Didja see that?" a man asked. "Didja see that? He didn't even touch him!"

"That's it, I'm gonna bust him up," the man in the green cap said; raising up a pipe to bash in Batman's face. A stream of electricity shot out and electrocuted him. "AGGH!" he shouted.

_"This is H," _a voice said, _"I'm in the area."_

"Get out of the way!" a bald man with a bandana tied around his head shouted. "There's only one way to deal with a freak like this." He pointed a handgun in Batman's face.

_"O-kay. Is there anyone else in the area?"_ Oracle asked.

_"Thanks for the vote of confidence, O,"_ H smirked.

"Human or not, he dies now," the man said, he prepared to pull the trigger.

_"No, H, I only mean in case you needed backup—"_ Oracle began.

"Shut up, O," Huntress shouted as she sped into view of the men, "I _know _what you meant."

"Who the—?!" The man shouted in shock.

She slammed her foot into the man's head. "GUNGH!" he fell hitting the pavement.

"I'm here," Huntress said. Batman was injured and she wasn't going to let a bunch of lowlife punks off him. She pulled the bike to a stop; she was ready for a fight.


	15. Chapter XV: The Friend

**Chapter Fifteen: The Friend**

Helena Rosa Bertinelli was the daughter of Santo Cassamento; even though she thought her real father was Franco Bertinelli. Cassamento sent one of his men; a capo named Mandragora to murder the Bertenelli family, although he asked that Maria Bertinelli be spared, Mandragora didn't understand the message and spared Helena instead.

She had been sent to her family in Italy, the Asaros family. Members of the Asaros family were trained assassins, and they taught her to hurt her enemies and how to fight back against those who had wronged her. After her cousin Sal and his father were arrested, Helena was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. When she discovered that her family was involved in organized crime, she made a vow to fight crime. When she was 16, she attended a wedding held by her mafia-connected uncle where she firstr ecountered Batman, inspired she attended at Palermo and after she graduated she returned to Gotham and became the Huntress.

Batman had helped her join the Justice League; and she had mentored under Superman and had proven herself an able warrior. Unfortunately, she had a violent side that reared its ugly head when she nearly killed Prometheus in battle. She had left the Justice League and had returned to Gotham. Her relationship with Batman was very strained, but she continued to fight for him.

"Step away while you still can," she warned the thugs as they began moving toward her. She leapt off the motorcycle and flew straight at one of the men.

"Batgirl!" one of the men shouted.

"Oh," Huntress said sarcastically. "Now you're _trying_ to tick me off." She slammed her foot into a man with dreadlocks.

"GARR!" the man shouted as he flew across the pavement and hit the wall. She smashed her Bo Staff into another man and she brought her staff swinging around beaming a man in the head and bringing it around and smashing it behind her skull and smashing into another man's head.

"Tell everyone _Huntress_ did this to you," Huntress glared at them.

"WITCH!" a man shrieked. "Come on our turf—DIE ON OUR TURF!" he was armed with brass knuckles smashed his fist into her face. Huntress lost her balance and fell to her knees beside Batman's nearly unconscious form.

"Dang you…" she growled, "…not going down…not in front of you…"

"Gonna take this stick of yours and break you—" a man said, grabbing her staff from the ground and raised it to bring it down on her head.

"NO!" Huntress screamed, slamming her open palm into the man's mouth, knocking out his teeth with a loud _KRAK!_

The man began falling backwards and Helena Bertinelli grabbed her Bo Staff out of midair. "I'll take that back now." She twirled her staff and the men saw the vigilante narrow her eyes. "Now, bring it on."

She smashed her staff into the men, swinging it back and forth, sending men flying back into the wall of the alley. This wasn't an ordinary alley; this was Crime Alley, the place of Thomas and Martha Waynes' deaths; the place of Batman's birth.

She kept striking them over and over until they were all lying on the pavement in an unconscious heap. "O. We're clear. But I'm not sure if he can move," Huntress informed Oracle as she moved over to Batman.

She heard a loud RUMBLE and cursed in shock as the Batmobile roared toward her and came to a halt with a loud SKREEETCH. "Where the heck did _you_ come from?" she asked to no one in particular, leaping out of the way.

_"H. I've set the car on auto relay it should be there any min—"_

An automated voice said, _"Car door." _And it opened.

"No kidding," Huntress smirked. "Hey, um…O. He's hurt pretty bad."

"_Get him in the car," _Oracle instructed. Helena began to carefully move Batman toward the Batmobile.

"He feels all…broken," Helena said, carefully setting him in the car. She placed him in the driver's seat in a sitting position. She slipped her hand into his and held it quietly. "Is there anything else I—" she began but was interrupted as the door began to close.

"_Car door,"_ the automated voice said. The car began driving away.

"_H…I'm sure when he can…he'll want to thank you himself," _Oracle told her.

Helena walked over to her bike and straddled the seat. "This is me holding my breath." She drove off in a different direction as the Batmobile headed toward the Batcave.

She did not know it but a man stood on the rooftop, watching her leave. He was tall and foreboding, dressed in a tan trench coat. His face was covered in bandages, hiding his features. He was someone new, and no one knew who he was. His name was Hush. That was the only thing that could be learned about him at the time.

"Without friends no one would choose to live," he said in a soft whisper, "though he had all other goods." He turned and left. He had an appointment.

He made his way to a warehouse where he saw Poison Ivy's silhouette standing in a darkened room with only the pale green light from her plants to show where she was.

"Can we get some light in here?" Ivy asked. "Plants like the light." The last thing she wanted to do was accidentally kill her plant children.

"Is this my half?" Hush's voice demanded in a soft whisper.

"Yes," Ivy answered.

"And Catwoman…?" Hush asked.

"Not a problem," Ivy replied. "Batman, however will—" she squinted as the lights suddenly came on. "…Hello…?" she asked. Her visitor had disappeared and she decided to leave. There was no point in sticking around.

* * *

Batman awoke to find himself back at the Batcave. How had he gotten there? He could hear Alfred's voice; he began concentrating to try to comprehend what his butler was saying to him.

"I'm afraid…" Alfred began, trying to keep himself composed, "I'm afraid, Master Bruce that if you can hear me…there is far too much damage here for my particular skills. Your skull is fractured and—"

"_Alfred. I've contacted Shondra Kinsolving," _Oracle informed him. _"Her experience with mending Bruce's back may prove beneficial."_

"Begging your pardon, Miss, "Alfred replied, "but I believe Doctor Kinsolving is not quite right in the head."

"_She got better," _Oracle told him. Alfred wasn't convinced of that.

"Right," Alfred conceded, "Very good, then we'll have to make the necessary arrangements to explain Master Bruce's condition—"

"_I can have Dick wreck the Porsche. The rest is up to you—" _Oracle said.

"Actually, no," Alfred interrupted.

_"What do you mean?!"_ Oracle shouted into the speaker.

"It is, always…" Alfred said, "…His fight to win…"

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. _Alfred stared down at Bruce's hand.

"Hold on, I'm getting some sort of involuntary reflex from his left hand." Alfred continued staring.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. _

Alfred realized it wasn't involuntary. He was doing it on purpose. "Or…perhaps not involuntary."

_Alfred….? Is that…?"_Oracle asked. She could see them through cameras that were linked between the Clocktower and the Batcave.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. _

"Morse Code. Yes…Yes. I believe it is."

"Thomas…?" Alfred asked. "Oh dear, he's delirious—recollecting his own father."

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

"No. I'm mistaken," Alfred. "'Thomas Elliot." Yes. Good show, Sir. Splendid idea."

"_Alfred, who is "Thomas Elliott"?" Oracle asked._

"Someone whose name I have not heard in a very long time…"

The Gotham Gazette buzzed with the latest headline. PLAYBOY WAYNE IN NEAR FATAL WRECK, the November 28th edition of the paper read. The news channels were buzzing with the shocking news of the billionaire philanthropist's accident.

A man on a television screen spoke. "—Wayne was rushed to Gotham City Hospital where, ironically, his own father held residency—"

Change the channel and it was the same story, Channel 2's news anchor, a redhead reported the story. "—It is unknown at this time if the millionaire was wearing a seatbelt or what, if any, his blood alcohol content was—"

"—Doctor Thomas Elliot, the renowned surgeon, is being flown in from Philadelphia—" a man said.

Tow other reporters were discussing Wayne's accident. "—Must be nice to have friends in high places," a man with graying hair said.

"And when we're dealing with Bruce Wayne, few come higher," a blonde haired woman replied.

A blonde haired reporter stood across from the Gotham Monorail. Reporting on Bruce Wayne's condition. "In a related story, shares of Wayne Tech tumbled in reaction to the accident…"

Bruce was put under anesthesia. "His pulse is dropping," a doctor said. "Has anyone know where Doctor Elliot is?"

The Operating Room door swung open with a BOOM and a man with red hair and blue eyes walked in. "Why does everyone look so serious?" he asked nonchalantly. "This is just a brain surgery folks. I'll have us back on the golf course before lunch."

Thomas "Tommy" Elliot leaned his head close to his friend's. "Bruce. If you wanted to get together all this time—you didn't have to try to kill yourself to do it."

_Bruce was remembering his childhood, and how on one Halloween night, his father had promised to take him Trick-or-Treating, but work at the hospital kept him busy. His Mother Martha had suggested he find a friend to go out with. Bruce had angrily told her he had no friends. That was a lie, he always had Tommy Eliot. He could remember playing an old antique battle game with him. That was their favorite hobby._

"_You sure you want to do that?" Tommy asked._

"_I _know _what you're doing, Tommy. You want to make me second-guess my move."_

"_Actually, I'm offering to spare your life," Tommy said._

"_Just try and kill me," Bruce challenged._

"_Bruce, you're already dead," Tommy told him._

"_How can you tell?" Bruce asked. " You haven't moved yet."_

"_I won't happen on the next move," Tommy said. "It is six moves from now."_

"_You forgot your most important piece, Bruce," Tommy stared at the game board._

"_I've got my General guarded," Bruce replied._

"_Not your General, your spy," Tommy said._

"_You always do this, Bruce. You always attack without knowing your opponent's weakness." Tommy placed his cannon in position. "As long as you can't think like me. You'll never beat me."_

_Tommy attacked Bruce's General. "But I can always think like you."_

"_AGHH! You've got me!" Bruce said, clutching his chest. He fell over onto the floor._

"_C'mon—Let's play again!" Tommy said._

"_Don't you think it's wonderful how they never really argue?" Martha Wayne asked her husband. "It's like they're brothers."_

"_All the brothers I've know argue all the time, Martha," Tomas said, wrapping his arms around his wife's shoulder._

"_You know what I mean, Thomas," Martha said. _

"_Actually, this is one of the times that I do," Thomas said, smiling. "Barring some sort of unforeseen disaster, I think our son has finally found a best friend. The kind you know your entire life…"_

The operation was successful, and Thomas Elliot felt proud of his work. "Doctor,. I think you can handle it from here. Why don't you close?"

He went out to talk to the press who had gathered outside Gotham City Hospital. "Well…I don't know if Mister Wayne will ever play the violin again…"

"Haha, Ha, Ha, Ha." The crowd laughed.

Thomas Elliot continued. "…But I think it's safe to say…"

The Daily Planet ran the story: WAYNE OUT OF DANGER.

Hush stood in a house, reading the Daily Planet. He saw the headline, WAYNE OUT OF DANGER and whispered the words, "We make war…" He took a Bat-a-Rang and sliced through the picture of Bruce Wayne, "that we may live in peace."

* * *

Batman was interrogating Killer Croc in Arkham Asylum. He was being held there for "observation" until he could be transferred out of state.

"GO TO H---," Croc snarled at Batman as he repeated his question.

"What do you want the ten million for?" he asked.

"LET ME OUT AND I'LL SHOW YOU," Croc said.

Batman turned away from Killer Croc who was locked away behind a glass window. "We're done," Batman said to the guard.

"DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME," Croc shouted.

"I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Croc shouted, placing his claws on the window.

"He's becoming agitated," Batman said. "I would douse him if I were you."

"Love to," a guard named McQuaid said.

"THAT MONEY WAS MINE!" he began scratching the window. His claws scraped against the window with a loud KKKKRK. He began banging against the window.

"BATMAN!" He struck the window with his closed fist. "BATMAN!"

The guard pointed his gun at Killer Croc. "Croc!" he shouted. "Step away from the glass!"

TCHHHHHHSH!!! The glass shattered as Croc broke out.

"He's loose!" a guard shouted.

"I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!" Croc roared, smashing his claws into a guard's helmet, shattering the glass.

"NGNNN!" the man shouted, falling backwards.

"No, You won't hurt anyone else," Batman said, striking him across the muzzle.

Killer Croc slammed his fist into Batman's face. "TOO SLOW," he growled. Batman hoped he wouldn't have his face smashed in. He wanted to know why Croc wanted that ten million dollars. If he survived the fight…


	16. Chapter XVI: The Beast

**Chapter Sixteen: The Beast**

"GET BACK OR I'LL GUT HIM!" Killer Croc roared to the guards as they tried to rise from their prone positions from the floor. He was squeezing the fire out of Batman's throat and Kevlar could only protect him so much. He was concentrating on the simple task of breathing as Killer Croc suddenly threw him across the room into a pipe running across the ceiling and shouted, "I'M GETTING OUTTA HERE. GET MY MONEY BACK."

Croc was dressed in a pair of short black shorts and a tan trench coat. He bounded over to a wall and ripped the sewer grate from its position. One of the guards, a man named McQuaid, the same man who had warned Croc to get away from the glass managed to raise his head and speak into a walkie-talkie. "All units! Get some help down here!"

"GO AHEAD," Killer Croc taunted. "FOLLOW ME. I HAVEN'T EATEN SINCE LUNCH." He sprinted away from Arkham Asylum. The guards were helping each other up. Batman pulled himself to his feet using one of the steps to steady himself.

"I don't like this," a woman's voice said. Batman turned to see Amanda Waller, President Luthor's Head of Meta-Human Affairs Department staring at him with a scowl on her face.

"I don't like _you_," Batman snapped. And, truth be told, he didn't like her. He had encountered Amanda Waller in the past, and none of those memories were particularly pleasant ones. He disliked anyone associated with Lex Luthor, if Batman held a grudge it would be against Lex Luthor. The man had plotted against Superman countless times, and he had tried to outbid Wayne Enterprises in weapons manufacturing.

Batman rubbed his throat, trying to bring feeling back into his neck. He wasn't too worried about the guards; both men were still alive and would get double hazard pay for their work that night. Killer Croc had escaped, but that was the least of Batman's worries, all he wanted to do was find the person responsible for what was happening to him.

"That's all right," Amanda Waller said, walking into the hallway. "I'm not here to be liked. I don't need to remind you that the father of the boy that…beast kidnapped is a personal friend of the President."

"You mean he's a _major contributor _to Luthor's political campaign," Batman said, staring down at Waller.

"You've got until midnight," Amanda said sternly, "then Croc is ours."

* * *

The thunder roared with a BOOM as lightening flashed across the sky. Alfred Pennyworth was taking to Bruce over the phone as he drove through Gotham in the Batmobile.

"_Master Bruce…?"_

"Go ahead, Alfred," Batman said, waiting for his butler to speak.

"_A Car just pulled up to the house. Are we expecting company?"_ Alfred asked.

"No," Bruce said, this was unexpected, but it wasn't something he was too worried about. Alfred could always come up with an alibi for him if he was away.

"_Philadelphia license plate. HMX199…" _Alfred tried to make out the rest of the numbers but couldn't see them through the rain. Dick was gone; he had gone out on patrol and was also searching for Killer Croc.

"_I can't make out the last number in the storm,"_ he told Batman.

"Oracle?" Batman asked, pushing a button that connected him to Oracle in the Clocktower.

"_I'm here," _she said. _"Even off the partial plate, Philadelphia D.M.V. shows the owner to be Thomas Elliot."_

"That's unexpected…" Batman said. Tommy hadn't mentioned anything about paying him a visit.

"_You sure I can't entice you to come home, Sir?" _Alfred asked. "After all, Dr. Elliot _only_ saved your life."

"Would if I could, Alfred," Batman said, he had work to do.

"_I believe, that's " I could if I would," in your case, Sir." _Alfred said, walking down the stairs as the doorbell rang with a loud _ding-dong_.

"Just make the usual excuse, please," Batman said, he had to find Killer Croc, and he only had until midnight. That wasn't much time and he only had an hour.

"_Consider it done, Sir," Alfred said. _

Alfred opened the door and feigned surprise as he saw Thomas Elliot standing in front of him holding a black umbrella. "Good even—Tommy?" he stared at the red haired man before him. He had grown taller and was dressed in a tan trench coat.

Alfred pretended to compose himself. "I…I apologize for the informality. You are "Doctor Thomas Elliot" these days, aren't you?"

"No need to apologize, Alf," Tommy said good-naturedly. ""I'm delighted that despite a few years and a few pounds you still recognize me."

"Well, Sir, I have the advantage of seeing Master Bruce put on those same "few years and few pounds" as you put it. I…um…had forgotten…your delightful penchant for calling me "Alf," oddly enough." Alfred held the door open with his hand.

"Glad to see you've kept your dry sense of humor," Tommy laughed. "Speaking of "dry"…aren't you going to let me in? I'd like to check up on my patient."

"Of course," Alfred said accommodatingly, "Only…Master Bruce isn't at home right now."

Tommy's facer clouded with concern. "Nothing serious, I hope."

"Quite the opposite, I'm afraid," Alfred said. "'Going off in search of a lady,'" I believe he said," Alfred said. It wasn't a lie; indeed he was in search of a lady who went by the name of Selina Kyle, known as Catwoman to many others.

"Alf," Tommy began, "as his surgeon and an old friend—tell him something for me?" Tommy had turned and made his way back to his car. "This a dangerous game he's playing."

"Sir…?" Alfred asked, confused.

"This going out and about when he should be in bed. Alone," Tommy explained. "Dangerous."

"I will tell him…Tommy..." he watched as Tommy Elliot drove off. He was reminded of a night so long ago. A night just like this one when young Tommy had come to the Wayne house in the dead of night…

_Alfred opened the door and to his astonishment, saw young Tommy Elliot standing in the rain._

"_Master Elliot, what brings you out at this hour?" Alfred asked._

"_Alf…can I talk to Bruce?" Tommy asked quietly._

_Just then, young Bruce Wayne came running down the stairs, followed closely by Martha Wayne. She had been reading him a chapter from _Alice in Wonderland_ when the doorbell rang. _

_What're you doing out there in the rain, you knucklehead?.!" Bruce asked in shock._

"_There…" Tommy fought for the words, "There's been an accident My…Mom and Dad…Their car…" his voice trailed off. Without another word, Alfred drove Bruce, Martha, and Tommy to Gotham City Hospital._

"_My _Dad _is_ there_, Tommy. Nothing bad is going to happen," Bruce reassured his friend. Everything was going to be fine. In the parking lot, the two butlers from both families spoke to each other in soft whispers._

"_I tried to warn, Mister Elliot," the Elliot family butler named Clarence said. "Night like this, the roads get slippery. I should have been driving them—but he insisted on going out alone with the Missus."_

_You mustn't blame yourself, Clarence," Alfred reassured him. "Accidents will happen. And given the situation, they could not be in better hands."_

"_You swear?" Tommy asked._

"_Stick a needle in my eye," Bruce promised._

_They shook hands. "Thanks, Bruce…" Tommy said. He looked up as Dr. Thomas Wayne entered the room._

_Thomas Wayne straightened his collar and knelt down on one knee. Tommy…come here, son," he said quietly._

_Tommy Elliot looked at him. "You're Mother is going to be just fine," he informed the boy._

"_See, I told ya," Bruce said proudly. _

"_And my dad…?" Tommy asked._

"_I…I'm sorry," Thomas Wayne said sadly. "I did everything in my power--"_

"_NO!" Tommy shouted. "HE'S NOT GONE! I'M GOING IN THERE TO SEE HIM!"_

"_Tommy, my Dad did everything—" Bruce began. _

"_LIAR!" Tommy shouted. "YOU PROMISED! YOU SWORE!" he folded his small hand into a fist and punched his friend in the mouth._

"_Ow!" Bruce said. "What'dja do that for?" he asked wiping blood off his lower lip._

"_Bruce, be quiet," Thomas Wayne said sternly, pulling young Elliot into a comforting hug. Bruce watched on and for a reason he couldn't explain, he resented his father for defending Tommy's actions._

* * *

_Batman sped through the streets of Gotham City, trying to locate Killer Croc before the F.B.I. did. He was speaking to Oracle who was trying to aid him from the Clocktower_

"_Has it occurred to you that he's leading you on a wild-goose—or Crocodile chase?" _

"He wants that money, Oracle," Batman explained. "He will either lead us to it---or to the person who arranged this entire—"

Something bounced off the front left tire of the Batmobile with a loud VZIT. The treading on the tire was ripped to shreds as the Batmobile careened into a guardrail.

"_Batman…?" _Oracle asked, she had lost his signal and was trying to relocate him.

The front of the Batmobile flipped end over end and roll over and over. Glass shattered and fire sprouted from the bottom as it came to a stop upside down.

"_Batman! I'm not getting—Can you hear me?" _Batman's fist smashed through the window and he climbed out.

"_Answer me, dangit!" _

"Oracle," Batman said, breathing hard.

"_Are you all right? What the heck is going on out there?"_

"Oracle," Batman said, "Whatever you do—do NOT lose the signal on Croc."

"_You didn't answer my questions—"_

"Just don't lose that signal!" Batman shouted Oracle shut her mouth and did as she was told.

Batman stared at the smoldering remains of his car. The tires were Kevlar-reinforced and filled with petroleum jelly. They were the tires on that were the same ones used in the presidential motorcade. A blowout was next to impossible. Someone was trying to keep him from tracking Killer Croc. That money must be really important, and he wanted to know why.

"You and me both," Catwoman smirked.

Croc sent his clawed fist smashing through a table as he lunged at her. "It was Poison Ivy," she tried to explain as he moved closer.

"WRONG ANSWER," he said. "IVY GOT WORD TO ME IN ARKHAM. SAID I'D FIND YOU HERE TONIGHT." Croc used his shoulders to slam Catwoman into a wall.

"We've been _NGGN _set up," Catwoman grunted. "_Ivy_ was supposed to meet me here. She _used _me to steal the money." Crocs' tongue curled and Batman saw him bare his teeth, some of them scraped her face, drawing blood.

"I don't have it!" Catwoman shouted.

"THEN THERE'S NO RESON NOT TO KILL YOU—" Suddenly, a line with a Bat-a-Rang wrapped itself around his jaws. "NO!" he shrieked. The line pulled tight and he couldn't speak.

"I told you earlier this evening…" Batman growled. "…You won't hurt anyone else. He quickly attached the line to a grappling hook and fired it off into a wall.

"Catwoman—MOVE!" he shouted. The hook shattered the glass and slammed into a wall on the other side of the roof.

"GUHNN," Croc grunted as his head smashed into the brick.

"It's after midnight," Batman said. "You have to understand. The only way out of this is to talk to me. Someone is playing us—you, me Catwoman—maybe even Ivy." Batman crossed his arms. "You have to trust me, Croc."

"LOOK AT ME…!" Croc shouted. "…LOOK AT WHAT I'VE BECOME…THAT MONEY WAS TO FIX…" his voice trailed off as he looked up.

_"Killer Croc! This is the F.B.I.!"_ a voice shouted. _"Stay where you are and put your hands in the air!"_

Batman could hear the _whup, whup, whup, whup _of the helicopters blades as three choppers descended on the area.

"Idiots…" Batman hissed.

"LIAR! I KNEW I COULDN'T TRUST YOU!" Croc roared. He leaped for Batman, ready to tear him to pieces. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

"Croc, we can still—" Batman began but had to jump backwards and strike Croc across the head. "Dangit."

BLUDA, BLUDA, BLUDA, the copters fired their machine guns. Batman dove out of the way but a maddened and enraged croc ran toward the copter.

"I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!" He shouted, trying to reach to people inside the copter.

A net shot out and wrapped itself around Killer Croc, trapping him.

"_Lighthouse, this is Cruise Ship One,"_ the pilot said, _"Package is being wrapped." _He pushed a button that shocked Croc with volts of electricity. Stunned, he slipped into unconsciousness. He turned to chopper around. _"Ready for delivery."_

"Waller…" Batman muttered.

Hush stood on the nearby rooftop of the Robinson apartment building. "All men by nature desire knowledge." He turned and walked away. He had business elsewhere.

_Six Nights Later…_

Batman was standing on the roof. He heard a voice behind him.

"Batman…?" It was Catwoman.

"I've found Poison Ivy," she informed him. "My…sources tell me she's relocated. She's in Metropolis." Catwoman leaped forward and somersaulted in mid air so she would land facing him. "I want in on this."

"Listen…I…you saved my life," she began. "Through the years, you've done that more than once. I don't think I've ever properly thanked you."

"Don't," Batman said flatly, staring down at her.

"We've done this dance for a long time," Catwoman said, moving closer to him. She placed her hand on his cheek. She moved her lips closer to his. "Aren't you at _all_ curious?" she asked. She pressed her lips against his. She kissed him, and he didn't stop her.

He let himself drift with it, and held her shoulders. Then he kissed her back…

For years he had trained around the world, seeking to rid Gotham City of crime. He had used the persona of Batman to instill fear into the hearts of criminals. He had become a monster that stalked them in the night. And like all monsters he was a loner, but would he always be alone….?

* * *

Bruce Wayne flew into Metropolis the next day on his private jet. He could pretend to be there on business. He would stop by the Daily Planet. It was always good to see Lois. It would be a shock to see Batman in Metropolis, but no one would care if Bruce Wayne were there on business. He had gone down the escalator and was headed for the exit when the thought he heard someone calling for him.

"Bruce! Bruce Wayne!" Bruce thought he heard someone calling his name. He turned and to his surprise, he saw Tommy Elliot walking quickly toward him.

"Bruce! It is you. I've been yelling like a fool halfway across the airport—" Tommy Elliott said smiling.

"—I'm sorry Tommy—my mind must have been—I was just thinking about you," Bruce admitted.

"Uh-huh," Tommy laughed. "More like you were thinking about skirts, if half of what your reputation is, is true."

"Well…" Bruce began to ask a question. He was thinking about the last time he had visited Metropolis, when they were children…

_The Waynes were attending a convention in Metropolis. Martha thought they would be able to spend time together. They had let Bruce bring Tommy along as a companion while they were at the convention. _

"_You boy's stay right here while Alfred and I go register. _Right here,_ do you understand?" Thomas asked sternly._

"_Yes sir," Bruce replied. _

"_You got it, Doc," Tommy said. He was the only one who would dare to speak to Thomas Wayne that way, but he didn't seem to mind much. He turned and headed away with Alfred to the registration desk._

"Do you remember the time when my Father brought us here?" Bruce asked.

"Say, you really _were_ thinking about me after all," Tommy smiled. "Be a sport and let's ride in together. Unless…you're meeting someone?"

Bruce tried to concentrate on the conversation, but his mind kept wandering back to Selina, and how he had kissed her.

_He quietly ended his kiss with Catwoman and pulled away. _

"_Easy, boy, you play your cards right and…" she said, "…There will be more where that came from. So…I'll see you in Metropolis." _

Bruce forced himself to return to the present and listened to his friend talk. He decided to ask him a question.

"Did you ever tell anyone?" Bruce asked Tommy, reminiscing bout their first visit to Metropolis.

"What we saw?" Elliot asked. "Not a soul. Stick a needle, Bruce," Elliot said sincerely.

"_Uh, Bruce. Look, up in the sky," Tommy said._

"_Where—"_ _Bruce stared up in awe. He had never seen a superhero before, let alone him. It was the Green Lantern._


	17. Chapter XVII: The City

**Chapter Seventeen: The City**

_"It's the Green Lantern!" Tommy exclaimed, pointing up at the sky as the superhero flew above them. Bruce stared up in awe._

"_What's he doing in Metropolis?" Bruce asked Tommy. "I heard he was from Gotham City."_

"_Have _you _ever seen him in Gotham City?" Tommy asked._

"_I've never seen anybody," Bruce admitted._

"_I think he went up there!" Tommy said, pointing excitedly. It was right around the corner. It wasn't too far. They could sprint around the corner and watch Green Lantern._

"_Tommy—" Bruce Began. "My Dad said to wait by the—"_

"'_My Dad said,' 'My Dad said'—Is that the way you're gonna live your whole life, Bruce?" Tommy asked. _

_The two boys began to run. "You gotta promise not to tell," Bruce said. He was lagging behind Tommy. _

"_Stick a needle, Bruce. Hurry—" Tommy ran ahead of him. They stopped in an alley. They saw the Green Lantern fighting a villain Bruce could not identify. _

"_Whoa," Bruce whispered. _

"_That bad guy," Tommy said. "He's the Icicle. He'd _never_ win."_

"_How do you know that?" Bruce asked._

"_It's like I'm always telling you, Bruce. You gotta be able to think like your opponent."_

"_Where'd they go?" Bruce asked._

"_Down the block," Tommy replied. "C'mon—!" _

"_No," Bruce said. "We should head back." They began running back toward the car._

_Alfred and Thomas were walking back to the car. "Alfred, bring my medical bag up to the—where are the boys?" he asked, they were nowhere in sight. _

"_I believe that's them coming this way now, Sir," Alfred replied, spotting young Master Bruce and Master Elliot running towards them._

"_What did I tell you?" Thomas asked sternly. _

"_To stay by the car," Bruce said. "We were just—"_

"—_We're _not_ in Gotham City, Bruce. I'm not only responsible, for _you_, but for your _friend _as well. And since _neither _of you can be trusted, you'll spend the rest of the weekend in your hotel room."_

_That was exactly what they did. They sat in their hotel room, staring out the window, searching for Green Lantern or any other hero. But they didn't see anyone else. No one came. That was the last time he had been in Metropolis._

"Things change," Tommy sighed as they sat in the back of a rented car.

"If we're talking about Metropolis, it actually happened overnight," Bruce said, sipping his drink.

"Cities are _meant_ to rise and fall, Bruce," Tommy said. "I was talking about _people_."

"Anyone in particular?" Bruce asked.

"I'm sure that Alf—Alfred told you I came by the house."

"And I was sorry to missed you. Money never sleeps, Tommy—"

"'Money' isn't my patient. You have a fractured skull, Bruce. I took a bone chip out of your brain."

"I'm grateful—" Bruce began.

"—I'm _not_ interested in your gratitude. My _only_ interest is in your _health_," Tommy said.

"I take good care of myself," Bruce reassured his friend.

"I don't doubt that," Tommy replied. "But I'm not sure you've given yourself adequate time to heal." He smiled. "You're not _Superman,_ you know."

Unbeknownst to Tommy, Bruce's mind was elsewhere…

"_Don't go," Batman said, staring at Catwoman._

_She turned back to him. "Just because I let you kiss me—doesn't mean you get to treat me like your Toy Wonder."_

"_Take this," Batman said. He handed her a paging device. _

"_It's not your high school ring or anything, is it?" Catwoman asked. _

"_Metropolis is a big city," Batman said. "If you find Poison Ivy first, activate that by pressing it."_

"_So, I call, you come?" Catwoman asked. "You can't train a _cat_ to do that." She turned around and leapt off the roof._

"_Oh, and…" Catwoman said, " If _I_ find Ivy first…? You're going to have to wait your turn."_

"I hope she's worth it," Tommy said teasingly.

"Wha—Who?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"_This girl_. I assume it's a girl. Don't be so coy, Bruce. I know my conversation wasn't all _that_ scintillating…" Tommy gave him a grin. "…But I'd know that faraway look anywhere. I've seen it on my own face a few times."

"Then I hate to disappoint you, but I was thinking about work," Bruce admitted. "You're sure my driver can't drop you somewhere?"

"As much as I'd like this fine young woman would take me _anywhere_—" Tommy said, smiling at Bruce's blonde-haired diver. "It's just a few blocks and I'd be a bit of a hypocrite if I didn't say I could use the exercise. There _is_ something you could do for me, however."

"You still have those antique war pieces?" Tommy asked.

"I do, actually," Bruce replied.

"And I have _mine_. Up for a game?"

"You're on," Bruce said, it felt like they were kids again.

"And this time I want you to actually _show up_ for an appointment with me to check on how you're doing."

"That's _two_ somethings you want me to do for you," Bruce said, waving goodbye. He had to get going now. It was time to find Poison Ivy and bring her back to Gotham City.

"It is, isn't it…?" Tommy said, walking away. He had other things to do in Metropolis. It was time to get to work.

* * *

"How many "P's" in "Therapist"?" Lois asked.

"One, Lois," Clark replied from the office next to her.

"Thanks, Smallville," Lois smirked. "Hey, look at that—if you put a space in "therapist," you get "the rapist." Kind of clever." She continued typing. "Kind of…Clark, give me just a few more seconds and we can grab some dinner."

"I _knew_ putting a florist in the lobby was a good idea," a man's voice said behind her. She saw a hand extend a bouquet of yellow roses and hold them up within view.

"Who—?" Lois asked in surprise. She turned around to see Bruce Wayne standing in front of her. She threw her arms around him and gave him a shameless hug.

"How's my favorite gal reporter?" Bruce asked playfully.

"Bruce!" she said, surprised. What was he doing here?

Clark poked his head over the top of his cubicle. "Lois, I'm not sure if P.D.A. is the most appropriate form of behavior with the owner of the Daily Planet," Clark Kent said from behind his cubicle across from hers.

"P.D.A.?" Bruce asked, feigning ignorance.

"Public Display of Affection," Lois laughed. "You can take the boy out of Kansas, Bruce, but…."

"Mind if I log in to your computer, Lois?" Bruce asked. "Stock tip."

"Anything you need, Bruce," Lois replied. She sat on her desk with her arms crossed. She stared over at Clark as he stood across from her. "Clark, dinner is…

"Going to have to wait, I understand," Clark finished for her.

Bruce logged into the Instant Messenger and called up Oracle.

**_B:_**_ O?_

**_O:_**_ Metropolis?_

**_B:_**_ Secure this line._

**_O:_**_ Done._

**_B:_**_ News on Aztec Gilia?_

Bruce continued typing as Oracle responded.

**O:** Requires Ethylene.

**_B:_**_ Fairly common._

**_O:_**_ Not the way they make it at LEXCORP._

**_O:_**_ They've reengineered it to withstand changes in temperature._

**_O:_**_ Perfect if you're on the move._

**_O:_**_ Before you ask, it'll take time. _

**_O:_**_ L.C. not the easiest to hack into._

**_B:_**_ Don't. I have another door._

**_B:_**_ gtg._

Bruce logged out as Lois peered over at him. "If I had read all that, would I have been jealous or rich?"

"Neither," Bruce replied. "You'd have been bored to tears."

"No seriously, Bruce. Besides my sparkling personality, what brings you here to—?"

A voice cut her off. "Bruce!" Perry White exclaimed. "Lucius told me you might be dropping in. Buy you a drink?"

"That depends," Bruce replied. "Have you run my newspaper into the ground yet?"

"Not for lack of trying," Perry said.

"Hey, I'll have that "Therapist Rapist" story with one "P"—on your desk before you get back!" Lois said.

"Of course, I have a highly paid top reporter who seems to think that newsroom is where news is going to be found—" Perry said, within a few minutes he was out of earshot as he and Bruce made their way into his office.

"Well," Lois sighed, "so much for flirting with the "billionaire playboy" to find out what he's _really_ doing here. I hope I didn't make you _too_ jealous, Mr. Kent."

"As Long as _I'm_ the one going home with you, _Mrs. Kent,_ flirt away," Clark said with a small smile.

"Still…" Lois Kent said, inhaling the scent of the yellow roses. "The roses _were_ a nice touch."

"I think there's only _one_ way we're going to find out what Bruce is up to," Clark said in a quiet whisper.

"Have fun being all tights and flights. And remember, despite how _he _behaves when he's…y'know—" Lois whispered back, "—that you two _are _friends."

"Right," Clark said, he turned and left. Making his way into supply closet number 1138, he removed his glasses and tie. He unbuttoned his suit and pulled the shirt off, revealing the "S" symbol on his chest, the Kryptonian symbol of hope. He let himself rise up and flew out of the Daily Planet faster than a speeding bullet.

* * *

Batman stood in front of Talia Head, otherwise known as Talia Al Ghul, the Daughter of eco-terrorist Ra's Al Ghul. She was surprised to see him standing in the room when she'd heard something behind her.

"You could come to Metropolis more often," she said politely.

"This isn't a social visit," Batman answered flatly.

"Is it ever?" Talia asked, staring at him. "What does "The Detective" want from me now?" she asked.

Only her father referred to him as "The Detective." She did not often call him that, but preferred to call him "Beloved", as she still retained strong feelings for him even if he did not return them.

"This company males a chemical called "Ethylene"." Batman said staring at her.

"Yes," she replied. "It's a plant hormone. Raising Aztec Gilia, are we?" she asked.

Talia registered surprise in Batman's eyes. "Is that _surprise_ I saw flash in your eyes? I never was _just_ a pretty face."

"Talia," Batman said sternly, he did not have time to rehash their past. "If someone in this city has acquired large doses of Ethylene, I have to know."

Talia heard something humming inside Batman's utility belt. "You're vibrating," she said.

"I'm needed elsewhere," Batman said.

"There is something…_different_ about you," Talia observed. "I am not sure I like it," she stood up. "But I _will_ get you the information you seek…"

She walked over to a cabinet and removed a file containing information on the Aztec Gilia, and a certain red head that had acquired a large amount of it.

Metropolis was a bright city, even at night it was well lit like a Christmas tree. Catwoman was perched atop a train as it sped through the city.

"Does it _ever_ get dark in this city?" Catwoman asked. "Even at night, it's lit up like it's important or something."

Batman swooped down and landed on the train standing behind her. "You're pager/homing device thing" works," Catwoman said. "Obviously."

I interrupted something, didn't I?" she asked, raising her protective, cat-like glasses up. "Not many woman can wear Channel No. 5 and make it work." She paused. "Sorry…that was… catty."

"I know where Ivy is," Batman said, ignoring her previous comments.

"So do I," Catwoman retorted.

"I…that is, you said—" Batman began. Catwoman had told him she had wanted to get her first. Why was she waiting for him and not going after Poison Ivy on her own?

"—That I wanted to get her first. I still do," Catwoman said. "But I wanted you to know _why_."

Catwoman's gaze was cold and hard. "Ivy took control of my mind. She made me do things I may have been prone to. But that's my decision. _No one_ gets to violate me like that. Understood?"

Batman didn't say anything. He had been under Poison Ivy's control and he knew how it felt. She hadn't been controlled like that, so he understood where the desire for revenge came in.

Catwoman turned away from him. Well, now that we're clear on that. I'll meet you there," she performed a back flip and landed on a nearby sidewalk. Batman saw her fade into the distance as he stared ahead of him. His thoughts kept drifting back to the night he'd kissed her. And how he had felt after that. Everything that was happening to him right now was very complicated.

Batman had found Killer Croc at a penthouse where he believed Poison Ivy would be. Batman had searched the house and found Aztec Gilia inside. They were very difficult to grow in an indoor environment and he had no doubt that Ivy had taken them with her to Metropolis. She would not abandon her plants because she cared for her plants as if they were her own children.

Catwoman found the warehouse where Poison Ivy was holed up and entered through the skylight. She found Poison Ivy waiting for her.

"I've come back to you," she said, assuming the tone of voice she had used when she had been under Ivy's control.

"Have you?" Ivy purred.

"It's like you said—" Catwoman paused. "—_No one _can resist you."

"Yesss…" Ivy hissed. She whirled around and backhanded Catwoman. "But I can _ALWAYS _tell when someone is _PRETENDING._"

Catwoman lurched back but regained her balance. She struck Ivy repeatedly as she screamed, "THAT. WAS. THE LAST TIME YOU WILL _EVER_ LAY A HAND ON ME!" She grabbed Ivy by her hair and brought her other clawed hand close to her chin.

"It doesn't…have to be like this. There's money—" Ivy said nervously, "so much money that—"

"Not interested," Catwoman interrupted. "But I have been curious…do you bleed green?"

Suddenly, Catwoman felt a branch wrap itself around her neck. "URK!" she gasped as she felt limb cut off her air supply.

"And curiosity killed the you-know-what," Ivy said taunting her. "The plants don't like it when you touch their Mother—WHITCH!" Ivy was preparing to finish her off when a Bat-a-Rang flew through the air and cut the branch in half.

"…Air…!" Catwoman exclaimed as she hit the floor, she landed on her feet, as cats are prone to doing.

"Ivy, you are coming back to Gotham City," Batman said, catching his shuriken.

"What'd you do? Walk?" she asked Batman sarcastically.

"So…the kitten brought a champion," Ivy said, gazing at the two of them. "I've brought mine, too."

Suddenly there was a loud THOOM as the floor began to shake. Thoughts ran thought Batman's mind.

_No. Not here. Not now. Not HIM. _Batman could see two hands pushing through the floor as HE came crashing up with a loud _thash_. Batman was knocked back but managed to land on his feet and remain balanced. Catwoman was knocked across the room and hit the ground hard.

Batman quickly made his way over to Catwoman, prepared to defend her. She raised her head and sat up, groggy.

"If you come near her—you'll have to come through _me_," Superman said in a tone of voice Poison Ivy's hypnotized victims used when they were under her control. He had seen it before and had been under Ivy's spell himself. He knew that he was trying to fight it as best as he could.

"W-what hit us?" she asked shakily.

"HE did," Batman replied.

"Lover," Ivy said seductively. "Kill them."

Even though he was forced to follow her orders, Batman knew that he would try to restrain himself. Not doubt he could easily kill them in there. It was time to find a place to fight that he could use to his advantage. He knew how Superman thought and exactly what his first move would be.

"Tell me you have a plan," Catwoman whispered nervously. She didn't want to end up kitty litter thanks to the Man of Steel.

Batman saw Superman's eyes glow crimson red. Laser blasts, that was his first move, but he had already anticipated that. It was time to get away from him as fast as possible.

He pulled Catwoman down as the laser blast struck. "DOWN!" he shouted.

"Y'think?" Catwoman asked derisively. That was definitely on the agenda. Being turned to a pile of smoldering ash was not.

ZZRACK!!! The blast hit the floor inches away from where they were, barely missing them. Batman could feel the heat through his Kevlar body armor.

There was another blast and he dove headfirst into the water of the harbor below them. It would take him a few seconds for him to realize they weren't going to fight him. Yet. They needed to get to somewhere better suited to handling someone of his power and skill.

"They're getting away…" Ivy asked in disbelief. "NO!"

Below them Catwoman began to panic. Cats and water, Batman quickly removed a breath mask from his belt and put one in her mouth. Then he did the same for himself and they began to swim.

"_Nightvision engaged," _an automated voice told him. He began swimming. He was looking for a certain sewer pipe

The words on the screen said _navigation distance: 0.03 miles._ Good. That was where he wanted to go. The two of them began to swim toward the pipe as fast as they could, knowing that Superman would be close behind them.

* * *

Above the surface, Poison Ivy was seething with rage, she hissed in fury as she stared down at the hole that Batman and Catwoman had use to escape.

"Thoughtless. Worthless. Stupid. Man." She glared and spat out each word with venom.

"I…Can't…Kill…" Superman said, he was struggling to break free of her control.

"But, you already _have_. My plants are my children," Ivy said coldly.

"I…" Superman began. She realized that her control was slipping. Her hormones, laced with green Kryptonite lipstick were starting to wear off.

"Are you starting to resist?" she asked. "Foolish. _No man _can resist me. Even _Superman_."

The wind blew her hair across her eyes. "Now, come closer—so, I can _remind_ you what will make _me_ happy…" She pulled him close and kissed him. He was once again under her control.

Batman and Catwoman sprinted down the sewer pipes as they rounded a corner. "We can't _outrun _him. He's faster than a—well y'know," Catwoman said.

Batman was in a place where he could get good reception from Oracle. "'O'?" He asked, "Are we in position?"

"_Close enough," _Oracle replied. _"Difficult to get a hard fix given how far underground you are."_

"Whatever she's saying, I hope it's good news," Catwoman said. "Handy having that Oracle girl."

"The Parasite once fought him and used these tunnels to escape. A lead-lined sewer system courtesy of LexCorp," Batman said, explaining why he chose to take them into that particular tunnel. He began attatching small explosives onto the side of a gas main.

Catwoman could see the word LEXCORP embossed onto the wall.

"Hurray for Lex Luthor," Catwoman smirked. "You've studied _Superman_ haven't you?"

"He's the best at what he does," Batman said, reading into his utility belt and removing a Kryptonite ring from a pouch, he put it on.

"That's open to debate," Catwoman said, staring at the ring.

"I said, he's the best at what _he _doe_s…" _Batman said. Just because he was the best at what he did didn't mean he could think like Batman. He would use that to his advantage, and he hoped they would survive…


	18. Chapter XVIII: The Battle

**Chapter Eighteen: The Battle**

"…Not at what _I _do," Batman said. He quickly explained the plan he had come up with.

"You know your part?" he asked.

"Your typical snatch and grab," Catwoman looked at him. It wouldn't be that hard, once he knocked out the power.

"Any one of the three of them," Batman added.

"It'll be the gal. If we want to get a _reaction _from him, it _has_ to be the gal," Catwoman said.

"_You've_ studied him?" Batman asked. That was a surprise.

"Trust me," Catwoman said. "I know the type." She pulled him close and gave him a quick kiss.

He pulled away, surprised. "Why did you….?"

"Because, later…we may not be able to do that," she said. THOOM! THOOM!! "Good luck," she called back. He was coming. She turned and began sprinting away.

Batman turned his head and saw Superman come crashing through the wall with a loud KRAAASSH!!

He was ready for him. Hopefully that Kryptonite ring would do some good in slowing him down. Batman turned his head and saw Superman come crashing through the wall. He had never once believed in luck during his entire life, but now might be a good time to start. He was going to need it to get out of this one.

Batman struck him in the face, and it felt like he had just slugged the side of a steel building. He felt like his hand was sprained but he had to keep fighting. He remembered the last time he had been angry enough to strike Superman. In his rage, he struck his friend when he discovered that the Joker had become the Ambassador of Iran shortly after Jason's death. His newly appointed status granted him diplomatic immunity for all his previous crimes, including Jason's murder.

Batman knew the situation was different now. Back then, Superman had been acting as his friend, trying to keep him from making a mistake he'd regret, but now he was under Poison Ivy's control and Batman had no choice but to fight him.

Batman couldn't keep striking him repeatedly, or he'd shatter his hand. The Kevlar could only do so much to protect him from Superman. He would have to rely on Clark's inner goodness that was deep down inside him. Even though Ivy controlled him, he would always be a good person on the inside. Unfortunately, Batman wasn't a good person deep down inside, and it was that part of him that would be used to snap Clark out of his hypnotic state.

WHAM!! Batman slammed his right fist into Superman's head as hard as he could. He began to shout at him, it would be a good distraction while Catwoman grabbed one of the reporters from the Daily Planet. "LISTEN TO ME," he shouted loudly, he executed an uppercut that sent Superman staggering back. "I've opened a gas main. If you so much as make a spark with your Heat Vision—You'll blow up the entire block." He slammed his fist into the back of his head. "And you _know_ what building we're under." He felt like his hand was about to be shattered and knew that one more strike would break all the bones in his hand.

Time to switch to hypersonics, Batman had to keep Superman contained in the sewer system, if Clark had enough room to fly he would gain the upper hand and probably kill Batman. He attached a device to the back of Superman's neck and pushed a button on his utility belt. Although he couldn't hear it he knew that Clark, along with every other dog in the surrounding area, would have a splitting headache in the morning.

Clark fell to his knees and clutched his head in his hands. It was working, but it wouldn't last long. Superman unleashed a blast of Artic Breath, freezing the hand that wore the Kryptonite ring.

"Enough," Superman said. He was ready to attack. Batman detonated the small explosives and blinded Superman with the bright light. Batman fired off his grappling hook as Superman pulled back his fist to strike him.

"Clark, about the gas main—" Batman said as he used the grappling hook to pull himself out of the way as Superman ran headlong into, not the gas main, but the power core of Metropolis' power grid to the entire city, "—I lied."

"GAAAHHH!" Superman screamed as he was stunned by thousands of volts of electricity. The entire city of Metropolis was plunged into darkness. That was enough time for Catwoman to grab one of the reporters from the Daily Planet.

Batman crawled up out of the sewer and the city's backup relays managed to go online in minutes. Superman suddenly shot up out of the ground, his eyes red with fury. Both fighters' uniforms were torn and ripped as they prepared to face off again.

"You hurt me," he said angrily. He flew near a car and grabbed it with one hand, crushing the steel hood and shattering the glass windows. He was ready to bring the car crashing down on Batman's head, crushing him instantly. "This ends now."

Batman once again brought up his right hand, the one he had the Kryptonite ring on and pointed towards the sky. "Look up," he ordered. Superman did and saw Catwoman and Lois Lane on a nearby flagpole high above them.

"You can save _her,_" Batman told him, "Or fight me. It is _your_ choice. Not Poison Ivy's."

Above them, Lois Kent was struggling with Catwoman. "Hold still!" Catwoman hissed at her. "Y'know, you're not very good at this "Damsel in Distress" thing," Catwoman commented.

"Let go of—" Lois slammed her elbow into Catwoman's stomach.

Catwoman released her with a loud "Oomph!" and Lois began to fall.

"—MEEEEE!" Lois finished her sentence; she began plummeting toward the street below.

Immediately, Superman shot up from the street like lightening and up toward the falling reporter.

"I've got you," he said, catching his wife in his arms. She put her arms around his neck.

"Hi, honey, you're home," she breathed a sigh of relief. He set her down on a nearby roof. "Clark, no offense—but you look like Hell," she told him, commenting on his appearance.

Lois stood staring at the two heroes, she saw Catwoman jump down and join her. Catwoman stood on three fingers and did the splits as Lois asked her a question.

"So…you and he are working together now?" she asked.

"What…you writing a book or something?" Catwoman frowned.

"Or something…" Lois said, staring over at the men as they conversed.

"Ivy will be on the move. She has money and a certain _way_ with anyone who would stop her," Batman said. "And she's has help. Smart. Connected. Someone who got her the synthetic green K in her lipstick to be able to control you."

"Any ideas on who that might be?" Superman asked.

"Working on it," Batman replied.

"We should have a word with Ivy," Superman said. "I'm not sure either of us could find her in time."

"But we know _someone _who can," Batman said, picking a leaf off the Man of Steel's uniform. He held it up to Clark's face.

"And I think I have a change of clothes up at the Fortress, too…" Superman added.

* * *

Ivy was sitting on a bed in a hotel room in the Metropolis Plaza counting the stolen money when she heard a familiar voice beside her.

"Put the money down," Batman ordered, "you're coming back to Gotham City."

"Like H--- I—" Ivy began to say as she froze at the sight of Superman standing next to Batman, "—am."

"I've already called my old friend, Maggie Sawyer," Superman told her. "She's arranged for the Metropolis S.C. U. to deliver you to the G.C.P.D." Ivy jumped up and made a run for the door.

"I don't know how you found me but—" She threw open the door and came to a dead halt as she saw the Dog of Steel waiting for her. Hovering in the air, Krypto the Super-Dog glared at her.

"GHRRRR!" Krypto growled at her fiercely. She didn't move a muscle. She suddenly turned to her left and tried to find another escape route, only to run into Catwoman. "RRR!" Krypto snarled.

"Hello, Ivy," Catwoman said. She raised her fist and sent it smashing into Poison Ivy's face with a loud DOK.

"Good-bye, Ivy," Catwoman finished as Ivy it the floor, unconscious.

Krypto the Super-Dog sat down and Clark knelt down to scratch his head. "Catwoman, was that _really_ necessary?" he asked.

Catwoman and Batman glanced at each other. "Yes," they both replied in unison.

* * *

Later both men stood on the rooftops of one of the buildings. It was almost time for Batman to return to Gotham City, but not before Clark had his say.

"_Don't_ even think about it, _dog_," Catwoman said nervously as Krypto hovered in the air, trying to lick her face. She stood on one leg and winced, trying to push the dog away from her.

"How did Catwoman know to pick _Lois?_" Superman asked. "You didn't…"

"I only told her that care about the people who work at the Daily Planet," Batman replied. He would never give up Clark's identity without consulting him first. "She had three choices. Lois. Jimmy Olsen. Or even Perry White. Catwoman picked Lois."

"You could have gotten Lois _killed_," Superman said sternly.

"No," Batman said, "I believed in _you_."

"All the good work," Superman said, "Including the J.L.A. How long has it been?"

"Why?" Batman asked.

"Always the _Detective_," Superman answered, it was almost like old times.

"Ever the _Boy Scout_," Batman smiled a little.

Superman reached out and firmly shook Batman's hand. "Thank you. Now, more than ever I know I gave th_e Ring _to the right person."

"What are…friends for…?" Batman asked.

Hush watched the two men as they conversed on a nearby rooftop. They took no notice of him. They were busy speaking to each other.

"What are…friends for…?" he asked in a whisper. "HA-HA-HA-HA!!" He laughed and laughed. _What are…friends for…?_


	19. Chapter XIV: The Opera

Chapter Nineteen: The Opera

Alfred Pennyworth pulled the care to a stop in front of the Gotham Opera House. Tonight was different from other nights; the Opera House was hosting a gala for the elite of Gotham's richest to benefit concert for the Park Row Clinic. Leslie Tompkins was a doctor there and she was helping collect donations from the patrons.

Tonight's performance was Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Bruce particular tastes turn toward Opera. That had been his father's passion. Thomas Wayne had loved the Opera. There was something about them, the way they always ended in tragedy that he found appealing.

Bruce Wayne stepped out of the car as Alfred said aloud, "Indeed, Master Bruce, cavorting around in your _pajamas _is _far_ more important than supporting a worthy cause."

"Did I say something, Alfred?" Bruce asked his butler.

"No, but you were _thinking_ it." Alfred held open the door for Master Wayne. "I've packed your belongings. Do try to make it at _least_ until intermission," he advised.

"Anything else…?" Bruce inquired.

"Lucius Fox wishes to speak with you regarding Wayne Tech business—" Alfred began to say.

"—That can wait," Bruce interrupted. That didn't really matter now. He had other, more important business to worry about. Like who was behind his head injury and why did it seem that his old foes were using new methods to attack him? His interrogations of Killer Croc and Poison Ivy had led him nowhere; they weren't going to reveal the identity of the person, or persons, responsible for all this.

"And Selina Kyle will be joining you this evening. I take it then that _that _will _not_ wait," Alfred said, noting Bruce's change in demeanor.

Bruce walked into the Opera House, surprised at the silence that greeted him as he passed through the doors. It was as if they were _instructed _to be silent. Bruce thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

A short distance away, an officer was inspecting Selina Kyle's purse, looking for anything suspicious. They thought she seemed suspicious and asked to inspect her bag. The man in the suit was holding up a gray bra and had a strange look on his face, he felt very awkward holding it up in front of Ms. Kyle who said, "Seen enough? Or should I send you the catalogue?"

The man let her enter the building. Dr. Leslie Tompkins had a frown on her face, but the atmosphere changed as soon as she saw Tommy Elliot walk up to Bruce Wayne.

"Bruce!" Tommy greeted him. "Really glad you could make it."

"Are you kidding, Tommy?" Bruce asked, "_Any_ benefit for Leslie and I'd be there, even if my _Doctor _ordered me otherwise." He laughed, making a joke at his friend's expense.

"Ha!' Tommy chortled. "Tonight I'll make an exception."

"I didn't realize you knew about the Park Row Clinic," Bruce said.

"Good work should be rewarded," Tommy replied, "especially in _this_ city." Now if you ladies will join us," he added to Leslie Tompkins and Selina Kyle, "our opera box awaits."

"Hello Leslie," Selina said warmly.

"Selina! You look…" Leslie looked at Selina's dress, "grand." Although the dress didn't fit Leslie's tastes, Selina looked stunning in her short skirt. It was a strapless with a zipper in the back. Selina was wearing gold earrings shaped to look like cats curled up on the floor and a gold necklace.

The four patrons sat together in their seats. "That's it. Bruce and Selina, and Leslie. I'll sit with you. Boy, girl, boy, girl," Tommy said as he took a seat beside Leslie Tompkins.

"How long have you known Tommy Elliot?" Bruce asked in a whisper.

"I _don't,_" Selina replied softly. "Only by reputation. Certainly not well enough to call him 'Tommy'."

"A childhood nickname," Bruce said. "Then how did—"

"—I get invited?" she finished for him. "Leslie and I are old friends. I'm _her_ date."

"Hush you two!" Tommy whispered loudly. "It's starting. I don't want to have to separate you two."

The conductor began conducting the orchestra. They began to play the music as the singer began to sing in a loud, operatic voice, "_Ridi Pagliaccio—" _The actor began to bang on a loud drum with a wooden hammer.

_That hammer looks familiar, _Bruce thought as he watched the stage.

Suddenly, the singer's lyrics caught his attention. _"I've run out of Rice Krispies!"_

_Thoom! Thoom! _ The actor continued banging on the drum, out of sync with the orchestra and although it was clear the actor could carry a tune, the singing notes were obnoxious enough that would have made Bruce's dog Ace howl his head off. Bruce hadn't seen the dog since Gotham was declared a No Man's Land after the earthquake.

Selina stared at Bruce. This _couldn't _be a normal opera performance. Something was wrong. "Bruce…?" she asked. "Those lyrics…"

"BOOO-HOO-BOOO-HOO," the singer continued in a loud

"Yes, I know," Bruce said, trying to keep his voice normal. "It's an…odd performance."

Unexpectedly, there was a loud RRRIP as the actor began tearing his costume off. The costume was being ripped to shreds as it tore down the actor's back, not revealing that the actor was a man, but in fact that the actor beneath the costume was in fact an _actress._ Bruce immediately knew who it was. There was no mistaking the Cupid of Crime herself. It was Harleen Quinnsel, known to the rest of Gotham City as the Joker's henchgirl Harley Quinn.

"HA-Ha-HA-HEE-HEE-Wowie!" Harley exclaimed, staring up at the crowd, an oversized pistol in her hand. "Opera, SCHMOPERA!" she shouted at the audience.

Men down in the orchestra pit put red and blue masks over their faces, hiding their identities before anyone had the chance to see who they were. They were some of Joker's henchmen, and they pulled out some AK-47s and other guns to prove it. The audience gasped in horror, this wasn't supposed to happen!

"Ladies sand Jerks! There's been a slight change in tonight's show," Harley shouted. "Insteada the opera robbin' you for somethin' like a thousand bucks a seat—WE'RE gonna rob you! Believe me, folks, I've seen it already. I'm doin' ya a BIG favor!"

Tommy Elliot stood up in his seat, "This is _outrageous!_ I'm calling the police—" he picked up his cell phone and dialed 9-11.

"Don'tcha just hate this?" Harley asked, flipping forward performing a handstand and flipping up into the air, "Yer tryin' to have a nice night on the town—" she said, bouncing off the wall, she headed straight for Bruce's opera box. "—AND SOME PEANUT BRAIN FERGETS TA TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES DURING THE PERFORMANCE!" She kicked the cell phone out of Tommy Elliot's hand sending it away, broken and useless.

Last Bruce had heard about Poison Ivy was that she was in Metropolis, working with Poison Ivy, but if Ivy was like Mary in the nursery rhyme, _Mary had a Little Lamb_, then _everywhere that Mary went, the Lamb was sure to follow._ Bruce had figured she followed Ivy back to Gotham City after she was captured.

Bruce put up his hand in a gesture of peace as she approached him. Harley took his wallet and exclaimed, "Well if it ain't zillionaire _Bruce Wayne?!"_ Harley leaned in close to his ear and whispered so only he could hear. "Don't tell anybody, but I get all goosebumpilly when I'm robbin' the rich and famous." He knew there was another thing that got Harley Quinn all goosebumpilly, and she was about to have a run-in with him. He decided it was time to crash this little party. He decided to creep out the back as soon as possible when Harley turned her attention to Selina Kyle.

"Hey, you look _awfully _ familiya, sister," she said, staring at Selina. "You ever spend any time up at Arkham Asylum?" Harley took Selina's earrings.

"NO," Selina replied in a voice that dripped with venom, but Harley took no notice of it.

"Too bad," Harley said. "You'd'a been _very _popular."

Harley looked over at Dr. Tompkins. "Please, take whatever you want," Leslie said nervously. Although she knew Batman was there, she was still nervous, she had to keep calm so Harley wouldn't be tempted to fire her gun. "Just don't hurt anyone."

"Yeah. Yeah," Harley interrupted. "Blah. Blah. Yer kiddin', right? I ain't bargain huntin', lady!"

Harley shoved her gun deep into the crevice of Tommy Elliot's throat. Now let's see what we go here, Mr. Gonna-Drop-A-Dime-On-Me." She spotted a shiny green pendant around Tommy's neck.

"Don't you dare—" Tommy began.

"Listen to ya," she sneered. "Like you got a _choice!_" She examined the green pendant closer. "Ooo, pretty."

"NO!" Tommy screamed in rage as Harley took the green pendant from him.

Bruce couldn't help but remember that it was a thief in the night that had stolen his mother's necklace, and her life as well. He remembered how much that pendant meant to Tommy. It was a gift from his mother.

"Finders keepers—" Harley taunted. Losers…Eep." She exclaimed as Tommy suddenly pushed her off the balcony.

_"What is it, Tommy?" Bruce asked. _

_"My Mom gave it to me, Bruce," Tommy replied. _

_"It's a circle. That means life goes on, or something like that." _

_Bruce snatched it from him. "It looks like a Life Saver! I'm going to eat it!" Bruce said, he was just joking and he thought it was funny. Tommy didn't think it was funny and pounced on top of Bruce in such a rage that he punched his friend in the mouth. _

_"Give it back, Bruce, or I'll hurt you so bad—" _

_"Here! Take it!" Bruce said, frightened at his friend's unexpected tantrum. "I—I'm sorry, Tommy. I was just fooling around." Bruce whispered. Over on the game board, there were two solders, one was leveling a gun at the other. Tommy clutched the pendant tightly. It was his, and nobody was going to take it from him, not even his best friend… _

"WHATJA GO AND PUSH ME FOR?!" Harley asked, somersaulting high over the audience and landing back on the stage.

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!! Harley fired shots into the air. "That bad man wants to ruin all our fun!" she said. "That's it, boys, Bring down the house!"

BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM!! The men continued firing. Tommy, Leslie, and Selina took cover behind their seats, ducking down as far as they could to avoid the bullets.

"Doctor Elliot!" Selina screamed. "Get down, you idiot!"

BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM!! The gunfire continued.

"I know what' I'm doing!" Tommy shouted back, he continued to crawl toward the doorway. NO one _takes _ from me. _NO ONE._"

BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM!

"Bruce! Tell your friend—" Selina began, to her surprise, Bruce was nowhere in sight! "Bruce…?" she asked.

"I think he went off to find help," Leslie told her.

"MEN!" Selina growled in frustration. Where were they when you needed them?

"Well., you'd not going to let them have _all_ the fun, are you?" Leslie asked Selina. Selina gave her a confused look.

"Leslie, I can't leave you—" Selina protested.

"Oh, posh," Leslie said, "I've been through worse. Now Im sure you've got _something _in that black bag of yours besides your wallet and lipstick—so don't you let _anybody_ get hurt."

Selina decided it was time to make her exit to go change just as Batman came swooping into the Opera House high above Harley Quinn.

BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM!! Harley fired four shot at the Dark Knight. She missed and the bullets shredded into his cape.

"Aw, big opening night, and _look_ who's tryin' to upstage me!" she exclaimed, she kept firing her gun.

BLAM- BLAM- BLAM- BLAM!!! The men down in the orchestra pit kept firing at him. Batman kicked one of them and tossed a handful of Flash Grenades at them. Some were blinded and while they were distracted, he threw poison tipped Bat-a-Rangs at them, knocking them unconscious.

He landed crouching on the stage. BLAM- BLAM- BLAM! Harley fired again and again, trying to hit him. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Mr. B.," Harley said. "You really _only_ know how to stick to the _script_, huh?" she asked.

It only took seconds to realize that she had not intentionally fired at him, but at the heavy sandbags above him. The bags came crashing down with a loud _thunk, thunk. _ They hit him in the head.

"UGNN…" he grunted. He had been wearing a Kevlar reinforced cowl to protect his head but he thought he wouldn't need it tonight. But now he berated himself for not wearing it. He was dizzy, the blood was rushing to his head making him feel woozy.

Harley pointed the gun straight at the back of his head, "A little work on your improve might do ya some good!"

Batman heard the trigger cock with a loud CHK, there was no way he could move out of the way; his head was still spinning. "Ivy and I had a sweet thing going before _this_ whole mess got started—maybe I should go off-book and blow your brains out and end it all now!"

The gun went off as Catwoman came out of nowhere and slammed he foot into Harley's hand. "Badly conceived. Badly acted. Badly staged," Catwoman smirked. "The audience actually wants their money back."

"GNN—everybody's a critic!" Harley whined as she rolled across the floor and hit the wall. "Oh, great—another understudy…for Robin, the Boy Hostage…"

SHACK! Catwoman backhanded Harley hard across the face. "NO. Not ever." Harley crashed through the wall. Catwoman slashed off a part of Harley's jester costume the red side of her mask, where the jingling bell is supposed to be.

"Hey, if you don't _want _ the part, don't _play _the part, Catlady."

"Heaven's to Murgatroid!" Harley exclaimed, suddenly making a dash for the exit. "Exit Stage Left!" Catwoman was in hot pursuit, leaping after her.

"Or is that Stage _Right_?" Harley asked, shooting Catwoman's shoulder, right above her lungs.

"—GUHH," Catwoman grunted, she fell back as Harley kicked her in the stomach.

"Gwacious! These seats are very down front!" Harley shouted as Catwoman fell. Batman ran over and caught her before she hit the floor.

"Look dearest," a man said to his wife. "He caught her!"

"Remarkable!" the woman replied.

CLAP- CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!! The audience was applauding. Despite the chaos of what was going on, the patrons still thought they were part of the Opera performance.

"Bravo! Bravo!" a man exclaimed, clapping.

"Batman…" Catwoman said quietly.

"Lie still," he ordered. "You need medical attention."

"I _know_ that," she whispered. "…Come closer…If you _ever_ choose to…rescue…me again…over catching the bad guy…I swear, I'll scratch your eyes out…" she forced the words out. "I'm not some _kid_ you found and trai…n…e…d…" she passed out from exhaustion.

Leslie ran over to her and pulled out a first-aid kit. "Batman…!" she sad. "I'll take care of her. "You go do what needs to be done." She began bandaging Selina's gun wound. Batman began running toward the exit. He had to stop Harley Quinn before anything else happened.

Harley was sprinting out of the Opera House as fast as her feet could carry her. She was elated the heist had gone so well. She had gotten what she wanted, and she distracted Batman long enough because of Catwoman's injuries, along with the fact that she had made clean getaway made her feel very proud of herself.

"That concludes this evening's performance," she said to herself smugly. "Ms. Quinn can be seen in "A Clean Getaway" written by the starlet herself."

Tommy Elliot suddenly struck her in the back. WHUMP! "I want what you _stole_ from me."

Harley hit the ground. '"And people in ice water want Hell—But that doesn't mean they're gonna get it." She kicked Tommy in the stomach. He doubled over in pain and fell. Harley somersaulted away.

"Applause. Applause. Applause," she said, running around a corner through a doorway.

"GIVE IT _BACK!_"Tommy Elliot screamed, running after her.

Batman walked around the corner and found Selina's earring lying on the ground. They were close, he had to stop Tommy before something bad happened.

KRACKA THOOM! The thunder boomed and lightening flashed as Batman kicked down the door with a loud BRAK Then he heard a sound he never wanted to hear as long as he lived.

BANG! He began running. One thought raced though is mind. _No. _ He came to a dead stop in front of the most horrific sight. It couldn't be _him_.

_"NO!" _Batman screamed in anguish.

Now _that's _how to make an entrance!" the Joker shouted gleefully. "HAHAHAHEHAHAHAHEHEHE!!!!"

The Joker was crouched atop a small crate, looking down at a body. It was the body of Tommy Elliot. He'd been shot through the heart. Joker was holding a gun, except his had the BANG! Flag popping out of it. Batman flew into a rage. Joker had murdered his childhood friend. Tommy was dead, and it was the Joker's fault.

Batman leapt forward and grabbed Joker by the throat. He leapt forward, slamming Joker into the wall, raising his fist to strike him. "Stop…" Joker gasped. Batman refused to listen to the madman.

He couldn't help thinking about Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon's daughter. Joker had shot her in her own home and then had taken pictures of her wounded body in various stages of undress. He had not raped her, but he had violated her in such a way that she would never be the same. The fact that she survived did not lessen the anguish of losing a partner and a friend.

Batman slugged him as hard as he could. "Stop—" Joker began again. Batman _would not _listen to his please. He _refused _ to_. _Not after what he did to Lieutenant Sarah Essen—She was Jim Gordon's ex-wife. He had shot her dead in cold blood on Christmas Day after she tried to defend dozens and dozens of infants from death at his hands when the U.S. Government had declared Gotham a No Man's Land. The prisoners of Arkham Asylum had escaped and wreaked havoc on the city while Bruce Wayne was in Washington pleading with the Senate to let Gotham become part of the U.S. again.

Dick had once told him that he and Joker were always connected. That Batman represented order and that Joker represented chaos. Batman would _NOT_ take responsibility for the Joker's actions. No more. He was going to end it all. Here. Now. Tonight. The Joker was going to die at his hands.

Batman slammed his fist into Joker's chin, a sharp uppercut that sent Joker flying backward. "Stop…" the Joker whispered.

No. He wouldn't stop. Not now. Not ever. Batman couldn't help but remember Jason Todd. The Joker had butchered his face with a crowbar and had left him and his mother to die in an explosion. He had gotten away with it because of his Diplomatic Immunity form the government of Iran. He may have avoided justice then, but not now. Not tonight. It was all going to end now. No more murders. No more Joker.

"Stop…" Joker was desperate. He didn't want to die. He was trying to avoid the inevitable. The Clown Prince of Crime's Blood sprayed out onto Batman's hands.

"Stop…" Joker rasped. Batman smashed him into the wall.

"Stop…" More pleading. No. You won't get away with this. Time to face the music, you murderer. It's time for you to die.

"Stop…" Batman slammed his fist into Joker's mouth, knocking out his teeth. Blood covered the Joker's face. Batman gripped the joker's throat, ready to choke the life out of the maniac who had killed his best friend.

"Batman…." Joker wheezed, fighting for breath as Batman pinned him to the ground and prepared to crush his windpipe. Batman lessened his grip just a little as he realized the psychotic maniac was trying to tell him something. He'd let the Joker have his say, it didn't change anything; he was going to kill him, and no one would be able to stop him. Barbara, Sarah, and Jason were about to get the Justice they were seeking, and Joker would finally be punished for every murder he had committed…


	20. Chapter XX:The Joke

Chapter Twenty: The Joke

"Stop…me…if you've heard this one before…" Joker rasped as Batman prepared to crush the life out of his most hated enemy. There was blood splattered all over the Joker's face, splashed across his face like the steady rain that mercilessly pounded the pavement.

"Batman…. I…I…" Joke's strangled voice gurgled out. "…I'm innocent."

Batman's grip tightened around the Joker's neck. Another lie. He wasn't innocent. Since when was the Joker _ever_ innocent of a crime, he was a maniac to the core of his soul. How could the homicidal psychopath claim innocence? Murder and mayhem were his specialty. He prided himself on being Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime. No escape this time, Joker had more loopholes than a spaghetti strainer. There was no getting out of this one, this time the insanity plea wouldn't work now.

The rain splashed down the Joker's face, and small droplets of blood fell onto the concrete. "Ya see…I didn't kill _this_ guy," Joker said.

Harley Quinn was creeping up behind Batman with a large, oversized wooden hammer in her left hand. She stared at the Joker, "SSSH!" she hissed as Joker continued speaking.

"Heh," Joker said. Batman didn't move. The hatred Batman felt for the Joker sent a new surge of adrenaline through his entire body, empowering his muscle to maintain their hold around Joker's throat.

Batman could hear Joker's confession, but it didn't matter now. It was all going to end tonight. Harley Quinn suddenly slammed the hammer down, she had been aiming for Batman's fists but he had jumped out of the way. The head came down on Joker's arm just below the wrist.

"Oopsie!" she exclaimed.

"YARRGH!" Joker screamed in pain.

"Heh-he. Sorry, Mr. J!" Harley apologized. "He...uh…ducked!"

"Get away from him ya big galoot!" Harley shouted. "If my guy says he's innocent, then he's innocent! Right Puddin'?"

Batman snapped. He wasn't going to let anyone keep him from doing what he had to do. Quick as lightening, he struck Quinn, kicking her and sending her flying away from him.

"ERGL," she grunted as she flew into a garbage dumpster with a KRASH. "Ouchy…." She whimpered and lay still.

Pulling him up by his shirt, Batman prepared to slam him against the wall. "I'm…ack…not joking, Batboob," Joker grunted as he was shoved against the brick wall.

"Check…Check my gun," Joker said, breathing hard, "Nothing, gah, but blanks!"

Batman hears his words, but he stubbornly refuses to listen or believe the madman. The image of Barbara Gordon comes to mind. She loved being Batgirl, and he understood why she was addicted to seeking justice. Batman indulged her, because he respected her father. She had loved it, too, even more than Dick did when they had worked together as the Dynamic Duo. She knew the risks, and she had fought anyway.

Joker took that away from her, one fateful night. She had answered the door and he was standing there. He shot her at point-blank range while she stood with a cup of coffee in her hand. He had taken pictures of her wounded bloodied body as he stripped off her clothes. After he was finished, he left her to die, and kidnapped her father, Police Commissioner Jim Gordon. He used those degrading, obscene images to torture Gordon for hours on end, trying to prove that it took one rotten day to turn a normal man into a monster.

The fact that she lived does not lessen the agony of a failure to save and protect and it only made the rage grow. Barbara had been forced on a different path in life. She would not give up her war on crime and now aided Batman as the Oracle, gathering information to aid him in his fight. But it wasn't the same, and Joker was going to pay for what he had done.

If anyone could understand why he was doing this, it would be her. She knew what it was like to suffer a great loss. She would _want_ him to do this, to end all the suffering, all the death; it would be over soon.

Batman felt something wrap around his neck. He heard Selina's voice.

"NO!" she shouted. "I don't _want_ to fight you," she said. "I'll do what I have to, to keep you from doing something you'll only regret."

_Why would I regret this, Selina? _Batman though. _I should have done this a long, long time ago? I should have stopped him long before this. I should have topped Joker after…._

Catwoman pulled back harder on the whip. Batman fought and held his ground. "Don't—!" Her wounded shoulder was on fire from the pain of her straining muscles. GAH—dangit!"

She let go of the whip and lunged at him, slashing him across the chest with her claws. "I _know _what' you're feeling," she told him, "But, if our roles were _reversed_, you would do _everything_ in your power to stop me."

_How could _you_ possibly know what it's like, Selina? _Batman ranged inwardly. _You weren't there when I found…when I found Jason's beaten, broken body after the explosion set by the Joker. You _don't _know what it is like to lose a partner, a student. Jason was all those things. But above all, he was my son. He wasn't like Dick, Dick had a gift, and all Jason had was his rage. I wanted to turn it into something productive, but he wasn't ready. I should have _never _put him in that suit. And if his spirit could speak to me now, _he'd _understand why I'm doing this._

Jason's death was, and forever would be the Joker's responsibility. Batman could not let his complicated feelings for Selina Kyle, Catwoman intervene with what he had to do. Without hesitation, he slammed his fist into Catwoman's shoulder where her gunshot wound was still seeping with blood.

She emitted a cry of "GAHHH!" and fell back, unconscious. Batman caught her in his arms and held her for a moment. She'll understand someday. He would not let Selina suffer Jason's fate. He feared one day, the Joker would killer her and he would be too late. He would _not_ let that nightmare become a reality.

The rain continued to beat down on the Dark Knight as he looked up to see the Joker running down the alleyway as fast as he could. KRAKA THOOM! He quickly pursued the Joker. He wasn't about to get away.

"HELLLLLP!" Joker shrieked; his voice was filled with dread as he ran through the street. "WILDMAN!" he wailed at the top of his lungs. "MADMAN!"

"BATMAN!!" Joker screamed, Batman threw him down on the ground and grabbed him by his neck.

Batman grabbed the Joker and knocked him off his feet and back onto the ground, he was prepared to kill him. "No!" Joker wailed at the top of his lungs. "No! NOOOOOO!"

There was nothing Batman could do that could make the Joker suffer the pain he had brought upon others. But he could come close. He didn't see the man with the gun standing behind him. He didn't even hear the trigger cock as the man aimed the weapon just above Batman's shoulder; the man took aim and fired.

BLAM! The bullet grazed the Batman's shoulder. That was intentional. The man didn't want to kill him. "STAND UP AND PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR." The man's words registered in the Batman's mind, but they didn't matter to him.

He could crush Joker's windpipe and cut off the oxygen to his brain. It would be a slow, agonizing death. One that the Joker deserved, he was too dangerous now. Arkham Asylum was his playground. He couldn't even be detained for more than a day; he always escaped.

BLAM! Another shot went off, it knocked off the tip of the ear on the left side of the cowl. The man's voice came again. "THE NEXT SHOT, I WILL DROP YOU."

Batman contemplated pushing Joker's ribs though his lungs. It would rupture his heart, it would be unbearable suffering for him, and it was a consequence of his actions.

"You have to _think _about what you are doing. _Who _and _what _made you who you are. Your _role models_. The beliefs they instilled in you. And think how the Joker could _never _understand that. It's what makes him who _he _is. THINK."

The man paused for a moment as a terrible realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "…God help me…you _have_ though this through. I may no longer carry a badge, but I still believe in the policeman's oath to _protect_ and _serve._ All I can do is appeal t you through our _friendship_. I wouldn't let you do this when he shot my daughter…killed my _wife."_

The man continued speaking. "I don't know _how_ I could stop you, but I won't let you throw your life away."

Of all people who should understand, why was _he_ trying to stop him from doing what needed to be done? Batman turned his head to star up at his old friend. "Jim…" he said softly.

"You and I have seen more than our fair share of _tragedies _and thirsted for _revenge._" Jim continued. "If Batman _wanted_ to be a killer, he would have started long ago. But, it's a _line_. On one side we believe in the _law_. Sometimes, the _law_ fails us. Maybe that's why I've understood you…_allowed _you to protect this city. Batman, if you _cross_ that line—if you kill the Joker tonight—I will _lead_ the hunt to bring you to justices. In the eyes of the law…in _my _eyes you'll be no different from _him_."

The realization of his actions hit him like a hurricane. Batman stared down at his bloodied hands as the rain pelted him, sending droplets of blood onto the pavement. He had come so close to the darkness, becoming the very thing he fought against, it unnerved him. What was happening and why was he acting like this?

"How many more lives will you let him ruin?" Batman asked.

"I don't care," Jim said. "I won't let him ruin yours."

Jim Gordon helped his friend to his feet. Together they stood in the rain, wondering how this could have happened. The Joker lay with his face in his own blood repeating one phrase over and over again.

"I'm innocent."

The rain continued to pour as a man stared down at the scene below. Joker, Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Tommy Elliot were either dead or unconscious, all lived except for Elliot who lay dead below.

The man was standing on the rooftop, staring down upon the scene below with interest. Hush slowly removed something from his jacket and flipped it into the air. It was a beautiful silver dollar. It landed in his with a soft _whap._ "He really _is _innocent," Hush whispered softly. He opened up his hand. It had two heads, and one side was scratched up. "Get the joke?"

* * *

"We live in a violent world," Bruce Wayne said in a solemn voice.

It was raining cats and dogs as Bruce Wayne stood in the Gotham Cemetery. He had been to too many funerals in his life. He had attended his first at the age of ten, when his parents were murdered. Before that had happened, he and Tommy, to the dismay of their parents, used to play Hide-and-Seek among the tombstones. Tommy Elliot's father was buried here, along with his mother, who had died of cancer some years ago.

"Doctor Thomas Elliot used his skills as a surgeon to save the lives that others would have taken away. Unfortunately, there was no one skilled enough to save him," Bruce tried to find the words to describe his childhood friend.

"I…I wish I knew how to sum up a man's entire life in a few sentences. But, as those of you who know me can attest, when it comes to the craft of the wordsmith, I'm something of a failure."

"Dick…you ever hear Bruce talk about this guy before?" Barbara Gordon asked in a whisper, sitting next to her friend in her wheelchair.

"Not much," Dick whispered back. "He doesn't really talk about his childhood either, Babs."

Bruce remembered back to his childhood. He didn't have a lot of friends. The Wayne fortune had a way of intimidating people. He thought that the other kids wouldn't play with him because he was the "rich boy". If you played with the rich boy, you were better than everyone else because you were his friend; at least, that was the mentality of the other children. Nothing intimidated Tommy Elliot. His locker was right next to Bruce's at school.

_Hey, look at that," Tommy said one day as Bruce stood by his locker. "We've both got two _first names _for our _first _and_ last _names." They struck up a conversation about it, and Bruce asked to sit with him at the lunch table._

_You play?" Bruce asked, noticing the small pewter solder next to Tommy's plate._

_"I do," Tommy answered._

_"Any good?" Bruce asked; he hadn't found a lot of boys who played war who wanted to play with him._

_"Better than you," Tommy said, Bruce Wayne couldn't beat him, he'd heard he played the game, but people tended to avoid him because of his family's money._

_"HA!" Bruce exclaimed, he challenged Tommy to a game. It would be the start of many games. _

So many memories, now he was gone.

"So I thought it best I read something that Tommy would've enjoyed," Bruce said, thumbing through a book of poetry by Walt Whitman.

"Oh, please, not "O' Captain, My Captain"…" Selina Kyle whispered in a voice that resembled a moan.

"Don't you know, Selina?" Leslie Tompkins asked, "It's one of Bruce's favorites."

"Remind me to _not_ have him speak at my funeral," Selina said, staring off. This poem was ridiculously long. She had never liked it in high school, and she didn't like it now.

"O Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done, the ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won," Bruce began reading.

As he read he thought back to when he had been training in Japan. He was busy learning the martial arts in order to rid Gotham City of the criminals that preyed on it. Alfred had sent him a telegram informing him that Elliot's mother had died of cancer. He had always intended to get in touch with Tommy again, but his priorities, along with his life, were different now.

Forty Five Minutes Later…

"Exult O shores, and ring O bells!" Bruce recited from memory "But I with mournful tread, walk the deck, my Captain lies, fallen cold and dead." He placed his hand on top of Tommy's casket. Placed atop the casket lid was a small pewter figure, one of the pieces from their war game. Bruce thought it should be there, Tommy had always loved that game. Bruce sighed as he bid his best friend goodbye for the last time.


	21. Chapter XXI: The Dead

**Chapter Twenty One: The Dead**

"Sleep well, Tommy," Bruce said as they lowered his friend's casket into the ground. Tommy Elliot's death was no accident. He had to get to the bottom of this and find the person responsible for all this. He knew it could be any one of his many foes. One thing was certain; it involved manipulation on many levels. He made his way back to the Batcave. He had many things to do, and there was no time to waste, the sooner this was finished, it would be better for him. So many questions unanswered…he had to start somewhere; he decided to start with Tommy Elliot's death.

Batman stood in the cave, a swirl of holograms surrounding him, each the face of his most recent foes. Poison Ivy. Killer Croc. The Joker. Harley Quinn. All connected. He had spent the last fifty-six hours searching for clues to the identity of the perpetrator. Still, the answer seemed elusive.

The computer voice of the Batcave's computer gave him the statistics he had gathered from the G.C.P.D. _"Subject analysis: Elliot, Thomas. Cause of Death: heart failure due to rupture of the aortic valve and left ventricle."_

Tommy had died from a gunshot would that had pierced his heart, no one could survive that, he had lost a dear friend and it seemed as though the one man who was capable of the heinous crime was innocent, as crazy as it was, it was the truth.

"_Ballistic report indicates the bullet was fired from a 9mm Glock, standard issue Gotham City Police Department firearm," _the computer voice said.

A standard police issue firearm. Now who among his suspects had access to a police firearm? Batman wasn't sure, but he suspected the unknown person or persons pulling the strings with the heroes and villains he faced might have enough connections in high places to obtain that kind of weaponry without raising too many red flags.

"_Subject's blood flooded lungs—" _Batman hit a button and switched from the hologram from one of Tommy Elliot to the Joker. He'd heard Tommy's death report a hundred times over the last fifty-six hours he'd spent in the Cave trying to put he pieces of the puzzle together. No matter how hard he tried, they did not seem to fit or make sense logically. There was a reason this was happening. Whoever was behind this plot had let him see what he was meant to see and hear what he was meant to hear. The truth was covered up by lies, but why?

"—_Joker, identity unknown—charged with the murder, being held at Arkham Asylum for observation—"_ Batman hit a button and switched bat to Tommy's hologram.

"—_Cause of death, heart failure due to rupture of the aortic valve—"_ he switched back to Joker.

"—Joker, identity unknown—" The answers were always in the details, so why couldn't he find the answers in the details? He'd go back over everything. The answer was there somewhere, but it was a tangled web; there must be something he missed. He fiddled with the holographic images, switching the pictures, whoever was behind this, was manipulating the heroes and villains around him. And it was all for a reason, but what was it?

_"—Analysis: Elliot, Thomas. Cause of Death: Heart failure due to rupture—"_ The computer voice rambled on.

"Bruce…?" Batman turned his attention to the voice. A human voice, Dick was in the cave and had been speaking to him about something, he was only paying minimal attention to what his once ward, now adopted son was saying to him.

"Hello? I've been talking to you for about ten minutes," Dick said. He was suspended upside down hanging from two trapeze wires with separate handles on the end of each wire.

"I've been listening," Batman said. Dick Grayson, Robin doubted Bruce had actually been "listening" to him at all. It was hard to hear two things at once at the same time.

_"—Joker, identity unknown—"_ repeated the computer.

"Do you think you could turn that thing off for a couple of minutes so we can talk—which requires you doing _more_ than listening?" Dick asked.

"Computer, "audio and visual off." Batman commanded.

_"—Gotham City Police Depart—"_ the computer registered the command and said, "Audio and visual off." The computer shut down and the green holograms disappeared in a puff of light green smoke.

"You've got two minutes, Dick," Batman said, staring at his former sidekick and leader of the Teen Titans. "And while I appreciate your concern for my well-being—"

"It's not just me," Dick interrupted. "Alfred. Barbara—"

"Given that I've lost a friend—_a good friend_—even though we hadn't seen each other in for a long time—"

Dick interrupted him again. He was the only one on earth who could speak this way to his mentor. He had earned that right and he knew that.

"—Hey, given your usual grim and moody self, you're being _a box of chocolates,"_ Dick quipped a little. "But you _caught _the bad guy. The _Joker's _back in _Arkham_ for like the seventy-ninth time—" Dick lowered his voice to a whispered mumble, "—Where maybe we can hold onto him for more than an hour and a half this time…"

"The Joker didn't kill Tommy," Batman told him. That threw Robin off guard. That was a surprise, the Joker was capable of killing Tommy, but this time he didn't do it? What was going on here?

"Whoa. Wait. Back up," Robin said, flipping down and landing on his feet in front of Batman. "You were _there_."

"I _saw _what I was _meant _to see. I _heard_ what I was _meant_ to hear," Batman told him. "A gunshot. Tommy's body lying dead with a bullet through his heart. The Joker holding a smoking gun. But, as I said, the Joker didn't kill Tommy."

"Then…who?" Robin asked.

"Computer, "track visual to my voice"," Batman said, staring at the ring of holograms around him. "It involves the manipulation of _Killer Croc, Catwoman, Poison Ivy,_ and _Harley Quinn_." As he spoke, the images of the supervillains revealed themselves. "It reaches as high as _Superman._ And as low as the_ Joker_. It's someone _new_. Or someone _old _trying something _new_."

"That narrows it down to, say_ half_ the criminal population of Gotham City," Robin said.

"If detective work were easy—everyone would be doing it," Batman commented.

"Was that…humor?" Robin asked skeptically. Now I_ am_ worried about you."

Batman was silent for a moment. "It even got to _me_," he said quietly. "I almost killed the Joker." His voice was nearly inaudible. "…I honestly wanted to…"

Robin placed a hand on Batman's shoulder. "Bruce…without sounding trite—whatever your impulse was, you _didn't_ act on it." Whoever is doing this, you'll get them."

_"Guys?"_ Oracle's voice came over a speaker in the Batcave.

"Yes, Oracle…?" Batman asked.

_"If you're all through with the male bonding…"_

Robin felt really irked that Barbara had enough nerve to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Does she always have to listen to everything?" he asked his mentor in a whisper.

"You'd know better than I would," came Batman's whispered answer.

_"I heard that!"_ Oracle retorted. _"So, if either you is interested, the Riddler just hijacked an armored car with eleven million in cash onboard. He left a note. "What is it that has four wheels, costs eleven million dollars, and flies?""_

"The night air _might_ clear your head," Robin suggested. He'd been bored sitting around the Batcave and now would be a good time to get out and do something. Batman was silent for a moment.

"…Let's take the car," he said. They began running toward where the Batmobiles were kept.

"Great. Which one?" Robin asked. There were about a dozen to pick from. There had been many incarnations of the Batmobile over the years. Some were for one passenger, others for two. There was one that looked like a '60s convertible along with the rest of them. It was like going to a car dealership. Almost, except these weren't for sale.

Batman jumped into the Batmobile with an enormous Bat-shaped battering ram on the front end of it. Batman sat in the front in the driver's seat while Robin sat in the back. They drove out of Wayne Manor. THRROOOOOM! The Batmobile's engine roared as they headed own the road and onto the freeway.

"So, word _under_ the street is that you're seeing Catwoman," Dick said flatly. "Any truth to that?"

They sped over the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge and into Gotham City. "I take it by your silence…that it _is true_!" Robin said. Batman didn't say anything.

"Look, this may not be any of my dang business. And I know you think I'm _against_ you going out with this former…known…_thief_, or whatever she is…was." Robin paused for a moment. "Anyway, I'm not. Against it. Bruce, I've known you too long. I came down to the Cave expecting to find you draped in shadows. Cut off from everyone—including yourself. You lost an old friend. I get it. But—there's something _different_ about you. _Good_ different."

That buildings flashed by as Robin continued speaking. "If she makes you happy—_great_. _Except_—every relationship you've ever had with a woman—either as _Bruce_ or _Batman_—has gotten _screwed up_ because you didn't tell her about your being…either _Batman_ or _Bruce_."

"My point is—_tell her._ Heck, you've known each other for so long she probably already _knows_."

"You're right," Batman replied, much to Robin's surprise.

"Really?"

"It _is_ none of your dang business."

_"Okay, the Riddler just passed the Denny's on Adams. If you turn left on Second Avenue…"_ Batman turned the car to the left with a loud SKREEE! The car sped around the corner and Robin spotted a large garbage truck heading their way.

Riddler sat between two henchmen smiling smugly as he stared at the handful of thousands in his hands. "Well, boys, have you figured out what's got four wheels, costs eleven million dollars and—_FLIES?!"_ Riddler shrieked ion horror as he saw the Batmobile suddenly come into view.

"Battering Ram engaged," The automated voice said.

"Listen, Bruce, if you do decide to have that conversation with her…? You might want to shave first."

BADA-BOOM! The Batmobile collided with the garbage truck, causing the back doors to fly off, scattering thousands of dollars all over the street. Parts of the truck exploded and turned over, skidding to a halt.

Batman leapt out, followed quickly by Robin who somersaulted after him. He launched straight into a well-aimed flying kick straight at one of the Riddler's goons as he prepared to stand to his feet. His knee connected with his head and he fell over.

Robin was holding a pair of escrima sticks and hurled one of them at one of the other goons. The escrima stick ricocheted off the man's head and hit the side of a brick wall.

Robin executed a high kick; knocking another thug back as another behind him began firing a pair of .9 mm handguns at him. Robin whirled around and slammed an open palm across the man's face. The man staggered back and Robin executed a roundhouse kick. Both men fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, the Riddler gathered the bag of money and began running toward the nearby manhole. He climbed down the manhole, money flew out of the bag, scattering on the ground, hundred dollar bills were covered in dirt and sewage as the Riddler sprinted through the sewer.

"Huff, huff, huff," he gasped. He had to get away from Batman as fast as he could.

"Huff, huff, huff," Riddler panted, running around a corner and climbing up the ladder of a manhole, spilling more money as he went.

"NNNGGNNN," Riddler groaned, pushing the manhole open, he scrambled up toward the daylight. The words Gotham Power were engraved on the manhole, Riddler noted with little interest as he crawled out and down the street. Money was scattered all over the street and out of the sack as Riddler began to laugh in triumph.

"Ha." He fell back onto the pavement while he tossed thousand dollar bills into the air, rejoicing with glee. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" he cackled. He saw a shadow loom over him, interrupting his celebration, "Er," he said, sweat poured down his face.

"A solid gold garbage truck…" Batman said standing over him, answering the riddle he had left for the Dark Knight. Batman promptly picked Riddler up and dragged him back to where his three henchmen were being tied up by Robin.

"Need any help with that?" Robin asked as he finished tying the last of the three men.

"No," Batman replied. "I've got it."

They moved over to Riddler's garbage truck preparing to examine it for anything unusual. Batman's thoughts were on the Riddler. An armored car robbery, eleven million dollars in cash was a typical crime for him. But the riddle seemed amateurish by his terms. It seemed that in the grand scheme to destroy the Batman, the Riddler had somehow been ignored, left out; he wondered why he seemed so undeserving.

"Activating Ultraviolet," the computerized voice inside Batman's cowl said. He began examining the trucked. He could see the sacks of money still inside. But there was something else that caught his attention. Ash. But it wasn't just as from a fireplace. It was ash that only came from certain places scattered around the globe.

"Anything?" Robin asked, joining him.

Batman bent down and scraped some of the ash from the floor onto his gloved fingers. "Maybe. I've seen the substance before. _Ash._ From the _Lazarus Pit."_ The answer was somewhere in the details, what did the Lazarus Pit have to do with all of this?

* * *

_Arkham…_

The full moon shone brightly over the madhouse that was Arkham Asylum as the Joker lay on a cot inside his cell. He wiped sweat off his forehead as he stared at man who walked into his cell. His face was covered by bandages, Joker stared at him…he looked familiar.

"What's this, a joke?" Joker asked. "I don't know you. Do I?"

"I'm your _attorney_," the man said, "You're _free on bail_, pending a hearing to get the charges dropped."

"Heh, I may be crazy, but I'm not going anywhere with some _Bandage Head_," Joker said, twirling his finger in the universal symbol of craziness.

"Fair enough," the man said. He reached up and slowly began removing the bandages from his face.

"Wait a second," Joker said. "I _know_ that voice."

You should," the man said, "we go_ way_ back. To even _before_ my…accident. You broke into my home one Christmas. Beat me up in front of my wife."

"This _isn't _going to be a _good_ surprise, _is it_…?" Joker said, his eyes getting wider and wider as the man's face came into view as the bandages fell away.

"So, you had a little plastic surgery done—okay,_ a lot_ of plastic surgery done. What's this all about—**_TWO-FACE?!_**_"_

"Sorry, _Two-Face_ is gone…_Harvey Dent_ is back…and I'm going to finish the job I set out to do as District Attorney with the _law _on my side."

Joker covered both his eyes and forced one eye open with his finger. He just couldn't believe it. Harvey Dent was back and Two-Face was gone for good.

* * *

_Gotham Zoo…_

Batman made his way into Gotham Zoo. He headed straight for the Gotham City Zoo Cat House, where he knew Selina Kyle was.

"It's not like you, seeking me out," Catwoman said as she heard him approach. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"A few days ago I buried a friend," Batman said.

"I….I'm sorry," Catwoman said, it was the only thing she could think to say.

"It's been suggested that I'm handling it well because I have _you_ in my life."

"I have a fan?" Catwoman asked. "Is it the Little Bird?"

"Yes," he answered. He slowly moved his hands up, taking off his mask, but not too quickly, he was waiting for her reaction. "I know who you are, Selina " he said, "Where you live. What you do during the day. Like you, I have two lives. I want you to be a part of both of them."

"You know, for a loner, you certainly have a lot of strings. Robin. Oracle. Huntress. Batgirl. I just don't want to be the one the _one_ string that trips you up."

"You won't Batman said, pulling the cape back from his face.

"_Bruce_." Catwoman stared, eyes wide. She was pleasantly surprised. She had suspected that Batman might be Bruce Wayne but still, it was a surprise.

"So…where do we go from here?" Bruce asked.

""You could find a razor. And a bath wouldn't kill you," she said.

Bruce smiled at the irony. _Dick was right, I should have shaved._

* * *

_Midnight. One mile outside Metropolis._

_"Metropolis Tower this is LexCorp One. Climbing now to eight thousand feet and turning east over the Atlantic,"_ the pilot said.

_Roger, LexCorp One. You've got clear skies all the way to thirty thousand feet. Have a safe ride,"_ the operator in the Metropolis Tower said.

"We copy that, Metropolis," the LexCorp pilot said. "It looks like a smooth sailing for here on in…"

"Oracle, _I'm im position_," Batman said.

_"B. Listen to me,"_ Oracle said. _"I know how much you want to bring this to an end. But even for you, this is crazy. You've got civilians in there, B."_

Batman fired a cable attaching itself to the wing of LexCorp One. "You will take the wing controls in three, two…"

_"WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?!"_ Oracle shouted into the speaker.

"One," Batman shouted. He launched himself out of the Batplane and onto LexCorp One.

_"Okay, I've got the wing. She'll be safety returned to base. Which is more than I can say for—"_

Keep to the plan, O.," Batman said sternly.

Batman knew that the LexCorp Gulf Stream 5 had the same specicifications as the WayneTech's Air Glide 3. Lucius Fox had told him they may be in court for years over patent infringement. For once, Batman liked the way LexCorp did business. Batman placed small device on the side of the door.

_"Door sealed,"_ an automated voice told him. He opened the door with a loud SHOOM. "Door breached," the automated voice said.

_"Good Lord…"_ the pilot exclaimed. _"We've got a failure in the rear cabin door—!"_

"O. I'm in," Batman said.

_"And I'm less than thrilled at jamming a distress call. Even_ theirs," Oracle grumbled.

_" Mayday—Metropolis Tower—This is LexCorp One. We—VZZZT—"_ The pilot lost the signal.

_"Heat vision activated,"_ the computer voice said. He had about one minute to get what he came for. He saw a man come running at him. He knew the pilot would have instructed him not to fire the gun inside the plane, lest he rupture the hull. The pilot was slowly bringing the plane down so he could counteract the loss of cabin pressure.

Batman slammed his foot into the gun, knocking it away. He quickly followed it up with a swift blow to the man's face, knocking him out. He moved swiftly to one of the seats where a woman with dark hair sat. He found who he came to get. Talia Al Ghul.

"Only_ you_ could be so brazen," she said flatly. Batman sliced the seatbelt off with a Bat-a-Rang.

Talia looked at him stoically. "Your move. _Beloved_."


	22. Chapter XXII: The Assassins

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The Assassins**

LexCorp One flew away as Batman dripped down toward the Batboat. Talia wrapped her arms around his neck. Batman was contemplating how he met Ra's Al Ghul the first time. Ra's had kidnapped Dick Grayson, holding him hostage and requesting that The Detective" "help" him find Dick and his daughter Talia. It was all a test orchestrated by Ra's Al Ghul to see if Batman was a worthy suitor for Talia. And he had to wonder if Ra's Al Ghul was the one playing games with him.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

Batman looked at her. "Ask your Father."

"My Father and I no longer speak. But you _knew _this," she observed. They were nearing the coordinates. He pushed a button.

"Estranged or _not_, he will not allow for you to be hurt," Batman said simply. He knew that for a fact.

"You will never hurt me, my love," Talia said, moving her face close to him as if to kiss him.

"I am _not_ your "love"," Batman said emphatically. Their relationship, if any was not up for discussion. They landed on the Batboat and climbed in. Batman steered it away over the water and toward Gotham City. He knew that his actions that night would have repercussions. Oracle had expressed her worry earlier. He was counting on that.

* * *

Vice President Pete Ross ran through the halls of the Oval Office carrying a stack of papers under his arm, he saw President Lex Luthor standing, staring out the window with hands folded behind his back.

"Sir…there's been a _hijacking_ and _kidnapping_—aboard _LexCorp One_."

"Mr. Vice President," Lex Luthor said. "_Pete._ You know how careful I have to be regarding my _former_…holdings. _Corporate espionage_ is the price of doing business. I'm surprised that Ms. Head—"

"It was _Batman_, sir." Vice President Pete said, "We have confirmation through _Satcom_." He slapped the papers down on the desk. "It was some sort of Bat-shaped aircraft. With a _cloaking _device making it essentially an _invisible _plane. Do you want to take action?"

Lex Luthor turned around to face him. "Not…yet," was all he said. He would have his revenge soon enough.

* * *

It was 3:00 A.M. before Batman finally returned to the Batcave. He had hidden Talia elsewhere in Gotham City, somewhere where no one would find her, not even her Father Ra's Al Ghul. Batman made his way up the platform toward the computers when he notice something embedded in one of the consoles. A sword. Apparently, his message had been received. If Ra's or any of his assassins were here, Batman realized with horror, they might have kidnapped Alfred. Alfred was the closed thing Bruce had to a Father after his parents' murder. It was a way to strike at Batman through him.

"ALFRED!" Batman called as he began sprinting up the steps toward the secret entrance. "ALFRED!" he called opening the door, to his relief he saw Alfred Pennyworth carrying a tray of tea.

"Sir…?" Alfred asked, curious. What was going on with Master Bruce? He seemed concerned.

"You're…_here_. Safe," Batman said.

"Speaking to the World's Greatest Detective, it would be neglectful of me not to point out—you are correct, Sir," Alfred said, looking at him.

"Only Ra's Al Ghul would have the _capability _to get into the Cave undetected. But…if I'm reading his message correctly…why come all this way—only to retreat back to his homeland?" he said aloud.

"I'm certain that your musings were more _rhetorical_ in nature, Sir, but for what it's worth…perhaps he wishes to draw you back there with him…and in doing so leave _something_ or _someone_ unprotected."

Ra's was trying to get him away from Talia, so he could send one of his assassins to retrieve her. It was a hard decision, but what choice did he have? End the chaos that had revealed itself in games of deceit and manipulation, or let it go on and on until they had destroyed him? That answer was hard to find, Ra's was up to something, but what was it? He had to ask the man himself. He had to head back to North Africa.

* * *

It was nearly midnight in Gotham City. Jim Gordon, Gotham's former Police Commissioner was sound asleep in his home. All that could be heard was the _Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock-Tock-Ti— _Jim Gordon sat up in his bed, while removing a 9 mm handgun from its hiding place clutched in his hand beneath his pillow.

"_HANDS IN THE AIR," _he said, pointing the gun at the shadowy figure standing at the front of his bed. He could make out a figure wearing tan gloves and a tan trench coat. "You think you can break into my home—"

"Put the gun down, _Jimbo_," the voice said. "I just want to _talk_." Jim recognized that face! It was someone he hoped to never see up close.

"_TWO-FACE…!_" Jim exclaimed. What was _he_ doing here?

_No. _It's _me_," Two-Face said. "_Harvey Dent_."

" The man I knew as _Harvey Dent _is dead. He was lost to a _deranged lunatic _named Two-Face," Jim said, keeping his gun leveled at "Harvey".

"Is that how it is, Jimbo?" Harvey asked. "No second chances?"

"In your case, you've gotten second, _third_, and fourth chances and you _burned _them all." Jim couldn't readily believe that just because Harvey had his face fixed that "Harvey" was truly cured of being Two-Face.

"Okay, I deserved that," Harvey conceded. "But I don't come here tonight for _me_." He continued, "It's _Bats_. He needs _our_ help _now_, more than ever."

"It's going to take a little more than some plastic surgery to make me believe you've changed sides," Jim said. "I _heard _about that stunt you pulled out at Arkham. Getting the Joker released. _Posing_ as his attorney."

"I've had my license _reinstated _by the State," Harvey informed him. Jim looked at him, stunned

"That's not possible," Jim's heart skipped a beat. "Is it?"

Harvey kept his gaze on Gordon, hands in the air. "The Joker was _innocent_, you know that. You were _there_ in the alley. You stopped _Batman_ from killing him. The phone call that told you to go there. Tell me you _didn't_ recognize my voice."

Jim paused for a moment. "…_WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANT?_" He demanded.

"The gun that killed Tommy Elliot," Harvey replied. "When it's found, it will be traced back to _you_. It's your _service pistol._ The one you _turned in _when you retired."

"How could you know a thing like that?" Jim demanded suspiciously. This was all "helpful" information but how did he know that Harvey, if he was actually of sound mind, wasn't lying to him?

"It's all part of a _game_," Harvey said in a serious tone. "Like it or not, we're _two _of the pieces. The question is…how much longer do you want to play?"

Jim Gordon became very thoughtful. What was he supposed to do about all this?

* * *

Batman had recognized the camel's bridle on the hilt of the sword immediately. He flew back to North Africa where he knew Ra's Al Ghul was waiting for him. Batman walked through the desert until he saw a lone torch burning in the night. The sky was clear and there was a full moon out as he saw a lone man sitting cross-legged in the sand. That man was Ra's Al Ghul.

Ra's Al Ghul already knew who was standing behind him as he heard the footsteps in the sand. He only inclined his head a little to regard the Batman.

"Where is my daughter…_Detective?_" he asked.

"Safe," came the Dark Knight's stoic reply.

"You _think _I am responsible for your recent…." Ra's chose his words carefully, "…_misfortunes._ The death of your friend _Thomas Elliot_ for example. You are _mistaken._"

"You have the means," Batman told him, "opportunity. And _knowledge _only a _few _possess… about my personal life." Ra's was fully capable of orchestrating this, so why did he say that Batman was mistaken?

"I will make you a proposition," Ra's Al Ghul said, slowly reaching for a sword that was buried in the sand, he did so carefully, trying to move fast enough so Batman wouldn't notice.

"If you _defeat _me here this evening, I will help solve your…dilemma," Ra's said slowly. "Should I triumph, however, my daughter is to be _released_—and you will pay for this _insubordination _with your—" Ra's grabbed his sword as quick as a cobra only to have Batman strike first.

"—LIFE!" Ra's said, astonished that Batman had taken the aggressive in this fight.

Bruce wouldn't let him _win_ this fight. There was too much at stake for him to lose. He needed answers and Ra's Al Ghul was apparently the one who held them. He wanted to know if the eco-terrorist was behind everything that happened to him. And nothing would stop him from getting to the truth.

"So," Ra's observed. "Apparently a leopard can change its spots. What happened to your _American _way of waiting for your opponent to be ready?"

Blades clashed again as Ra's tried to gain the upper hand. Batman, however, pressed him harder and Ra's had to wonder what had Bruce so addled that he would come after him. Obviously, The Detective thought this had something to do with him. That was interesting enough to pique his curiosity. He thought he might know who the _real _culprit was, but it wasn't him; he was part of someone else's game, all the more reason to play along.

"Perhaps my metaphor was inappropriate. Not a leopard, but a _snake _that has shed his skin, revealing his _true_ self," Ra's goaded. "Then, _come_, Detective, show me what you have become."

Slashing at his foe, Ra's watched the Dark Knight as he leapt back, avoiding the blow.

"You've certainly found the _passion _for the game," Ra's commented, "_Whoever_ has manipulated you into this frame of mind, they are to be commended."

Batman fought back furiously as he spat out every word of his response to Ra's Al Ghul. "This. Is. Not. A. _GAME!_" Batman managed to bring his sword up and slash a small gash on Ra's' forehead.

Ra's managed to avoid another blow, but couldn't bring his sword up fast enough to block Batman's as the Dark Knight drove his sword through his midsection, right above the stomach but away from his lungs. Batman drove his sword all the way through Ra's' back as the man let out a painful cry of "Gah!" he dropped his sword and fell to the ground.

There was a soft _TCHUK_ as the sword went through Ra's Al Ghu's body and protruded out his back. The eco-terrorist hit the sand and lay there, motionless. Batman knew that he was still conscious, however, and asked him one question:

"It is over, Ra's. Now--tell me." He wanted answers to all the riddles. What was going on around him and who was behind it?

He heard the _shoom, shoom, shoom, shoom, _of platforms and clicking of triggers as four assassins sprang up from hidden platforms in the sand and aimed their sniper rifles at him.

Batman decided it was time to give Ra's an ultimatum; there was no way the man could get out of divulging the answers he wanted to know.

"The time it will take for your _assassins _to stop me--you could spend getting to medical help…or to a _Lazarus Pit_."

"Well played, Detective," Ra's congratulated. "I have _entertained _you this evening because we seek the same person whose identity I do _not _know," Ra's aid, grunting in pain. "So, you see…_your_ problem has become _my _problem…and it suits me to have _you_ solve it for us both." Ra's managed to sit up.

"Several months ago, one of the _few remaining_ Lazarus Pits was defiled. As you know, once the life-restoring energies have been tapped, the Pit itself is rendered _useless._" Ask yourself, Detective…who in your life would you wish to _come back _from the dead?"

That indeed, was a disturbing question, but what was the significance of it, he wondered. He had to return to Gotham City and find Selina, he had left her with someone very important, Talia Al Ghul, she had promised to help him keep her hidden from her father. He turned and left Ra's Al Ghul in the sand. This "game" was becoming tiresome, and he hoped to find answers and end it soon.

* * *

In a warehouse in a seedy part of Gotham City, Talia Al Ghul was sitting, tied up with her hand behind her back in an office chair while Catwoman, also known as Selina Kyle, watched over her.

"I know you're awake," she said to Batman's former lover. "_Cats _can sense that sort of thing."

"I can smell him on you," Talia shot back.

_Okay, that's kinda creepy,_ Selina thought as she looked at her would-be rival.

"_Lovers _can sense that sort of thing. You can never _have _him you know," Talia stated. Bruce was never one to be attached to anyone. He always feared that his double life as Batman would endanger the people he cared about, so he keep everyone at arm's length and never let anyone get close to him, for fear of losing them to the many villains he fought.

"I've made it this far in my life without having to "have" someone. So whatever you think you're trading on—"

"Then you _haven't _made love with him yet," Talia interrupted her.

_Wow, talk about an awkward subject_,Selina thought.

"I offered to babysit you," Selina said, changing the subject, "hide you where _Daddy_ can't find you."

"Then you both have foolishly underestimated my father," Talia said calmly.

"There weren't any specific instructions that said I couldn't gag you," Selina retorted. She was contemplating it though.

Suddenly a cat hissed with a loud, "MURROW!"

Glass shattered above her and Catwoman looked up in horror.

"RELEASE HER!" A voice commanded.

"Oh Hell…" she whispered to herself. This wasn't good.

"—and I will spare your life!" The woman finished, landing nearby.

"Lady Shiva," Selina said, "What and _un_pleasant surprise." This wasn't good. Lady Shiva was a master assassin and she wasn't going to be easy to defeat.

"Talia stays. You go." Selina laughed herself at the assassin, only to receive a vicious kick in the stomach.

"Remember. I gave you a choice," Lady Shiva retorted. She grabbed Catwoman's leg.

Selina tried to attack Shiva but the deadly assassin blocked her every move. Shiva threw Catwoman to the floor.

"You cannot defeat her," Talia said. "She is a deadly assassin. Perhaps the deadliest of my father's—="

"Shut up, you—" Selina snapped. She got to her feet.

Selina tried, unsuccessfully to attack Lady Shiva, "HGNNN," she grunted.

Lady Shiva easily sending her head over heels and onto the floor. "Ask yourself Catwoman…is he _paying_ you to keep Talia nearly what I am being paid to _steal_ her from you?"

Catwoman never got to answer that question as Lady Shiva kicked her in the face. "No…? I didn't think so."

Lady Shiva put her foot on an unconscious Selina Kyle's chest. "I only allowed this fight to continue to test your mettle. Why _Batman_ trusts you remains a mystery to me. But your _death_ will keep me from wondering about it for too—"

Talia had decided it was time for this to end and she picked up her chair and moved behind Shiva.

"Tell my Father," she said as she brought the chair down on Shiva's head with a SHMACK. "To _stay_ out of my life."

She prepared her escape route and held a remote control in one hand and a rope in the other.

"Games…" she muttered, disgusted. She used the remote to pull the rope and hoist herself out of the building.

Batman arrived at the warehouse and went inside, only to find Selina badly beaten and unconscious.

"Who did this?" he asked.

"In certain ways…you did," Talia answered. Batman looked up at her.

"Why didn't you escape and just leave her?" Batman asked, curious.

"I did. She would have died. I have returned. Now she won't," Talia said simply. "The herbs I used will restore her health. Her face within hours."

"Then…_why_ did you come back?" Batman asked.

Talia pulled him close and kissed him.

"I told you recently that there was something different about you," she said. "_Now_, I know why."

Talia began to leave, but turned back to him, "You care for her, maybe even _love_ her. Your mysterious _opponent_ will use this against you. Is she worth it?"

Batman paused for a second. "…Yes…" was his answer. It was time to get Selina back to the Cave.

_The Batcave_

Catwoman was perched on top of a console. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"As soon as Alfred's done, there'll be work to do," Batman replied. He had decided to bring her here to the Cave to prove that he trusted her completely.

"Yes, because time for this to heal would be out of the question,"  
Alfred said.

"I bet you have to do this pretty often…?" she queried.

"No," Batman said flatly.

"Constantly," Alfred countered.

Selina moved forward to get a closer look. "Oh God…" she whispered.

"Something wrong?" Bastman asked.

"I just didn't expect…the _scars_…" As Catwoman, Selina had gotten in plenty of fights with him and she knew he was constantly battling his rogues' gallery, but she hadn't expect to see so many scars.

"Each one carries a _memory_," Batman said. And that was very true, he could remember how he had gotten each one. From bullet holes inflicted by Two-Face to a nasty scar he'd gotten from Joker via a large hook.

"Most people would opt for a photo album," Catwoman quipped.

_I am not, nor will I ever be, most people,_ he thought to himself.

She put a hand on his chest, near three distinct scars. "…And that…?" she asked.

"…You don't remember…?" Batman asked. She'd given him that during a fight on the roof.

"Well, now that you mention it…" Selina began. "You can't imagine how hard it was to get out of that old costume…or _maybe_ you can."

Bruce put on his uniform.

"Sir, if I may, those stitches will hardly…" Alfred protested.

"We're done," Bruce said flatly.

"I'm not done," Selina interjected.

"Miss, I'd appreciate it if you'd—" Alfred began. He stopped when Selina pulled Bruce close and kissed him.

"Why…?" Batman asked.

"To make it all better," she replied. "_Now_ we're done."


End file.
